From tracy.soforenko at gmail.com  Tue Feb  7 02:29:20 2017
From: tracy.soforenko at gmail.com (Tracy Soforenko)
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2017 21:29:20 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Death of Robert harper (Fredericksburg Chapter
 Member)
Message-ID: <014c01d280e9$fcfe1150$f6fa33f0$@gmail.com>

 

From: Holly Frisch [mailto:Holly at volunteersfortheblind.org] 



Robert harper, a member of our Fredericksburg chapter, died yesterday
afternoon.  He was a vendor in Virginia for 25 years.  Mr. Harper, who
joined our chapter last summer,  is survived by his wife and a 12 year old
son.  Please remember Mr. Harper's family in your thoughts and prayers.



From dandrews at visi.com  Tue Feb  7 05:40:13 2017
From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews)
Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2017 23:40:13 -0600
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] FW: Death of Robert harper
Message-ID: <auto-000076542577@mailfront1.g2host.com>


>From: Holly Frisch <Holly at volunteersfortheblind.org>
>To: "'dandrews at visi.com'" <dandrews at visi.com>
>Subject: FW: Death of Robert harper
>ate: Mon, 6 Feb 2017 19:09:08 +0000
>
>Would you please put this on our state mailing list?
>
>From: NFBV-Historic-Fredericksburg 
>[mailto:nfbv-historic-fredericksburg-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
>Of Holly Frisch via NFBV-Historic-Fredericksburg
>Sent: Monday, February 6, 2017 2:05 PM
>To: 'nfbv-historic-fredericksburg at nfbnet.org' 
><nfbv-historic-fredericksburg at nfbnet.org>
>Subject: [Nfbv-historic-fredericksburg] Death of Robert harper
>
>Robert harper, a member of our Fredericksburg chapter, died 
>yesterday afternoon.  He was a vendor in Virginia for 25 years.  Mr. 
>Harper, who joined our chapter last summer,  is survived by his wife 
>and a 12 year old son.  Please remember Mr. Harper's family in your 
>thoughts and prayers.
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_______________________________________________
NFBV-Historic-Fredericksburg mailing list
NFBV-Historic-Fredericksburg at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbv-historic-fredericksburg_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBV-Historic-Fredericksburg:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbv-historic-fredericksburg_nfbnet.org/holly%40volunteersfortheblind.org

From dandrews at visi.com  Tue Feb  7 21:45:14 2017
From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews)
Date: Tue, 07 Feb 2017 15:45:14 -0600
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] FW: Death of Robert harper
Message-ID: <auto-000076019903@mailfront2.g2host.com>


>
>Would you please put this on our state mailing list?
>
>From: NFBV-Historic-Fredericksburg 
>[mailto:nfbv-historic-fredericksburg-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
>Of Holly Frisch via NFBV-Historic-Fredericksburg
>Sent: Monday, February 6, 2017 2:05 PM
>To: 'nfbv-historic-fredericksburg at nfbnet.org' 
><nfbv-historic-fredericksburg at nfbnet.org>
>Subject: [Nfbv-historic-fredericksburg] Death of Robert harper
>
>Robert harper, a member of our Fredericksburg chapter, died 
>yesterday afternoon.  He was a vendor in Virginia for 25 years.  Mr. 
>Harper, who joined our chapter last summer,  is survived by his wife 
>and a 12 year old son.  Please remember Mr. Harper's family in your 
>thoughts and prayers.
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
NFBV-Historic-Fredericksburg mailing list
NFBV-Historic-Fredericksburg at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbv-historic-fredericksburg_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBV-Historic-Fredericksburg:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbv-historic-fredericksburg_nfbnet.org/holly%40volunteersfortheblind.org

From tracy.soforenko at gmail.com  Wed Feb  8 04:19:36 2017
From: tracy.soforenko at gmail.com (Tracy Soforenko)
Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2017 23:19:36 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Outstanding Summer Enrichment Program for Blind &
 Low Vision Students Ages 4-14 in Arlington
In-Reply-To: <02c001d281bd$b7a658e0$26f30aa0$@gmail.com>
References: <02c001d281bd$b7a658e0$26f30aa0$@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <02cf01d281c2$8eb99050$ac2cb0f0$@gmail.com>

2017 BELL in Arlington!
This year, the NFB BELL Academy will be held in Arlington Virginia,  and we hope that your child can once again join us for two weeks of  excitement and learning.

 The NFB Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Academy  prepares blind and low vision children, ages four through fourteen, to  grow into confident and independent adults who will live the lives  they want. The program provides Braille and non-visual skills  instruction through fun, hands-on learning.

 Children will learn crafts, games, and other engaging projects along  with the skills they need to be on their way to independence!

 From July 31 to August 11, 2017

 Application can be found at: https://nfb.org/bell-student-application-form

 Location: St. George's Episcopal Church, 915 North Oakland Street  Arlington, VA 22203

 One block away from the Virginia Square Metro!

 Read- Explore- Build confidence!

Tracy Soforenko
President, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia
202 285-4595
Tracy.soforenko at gmail.com






From tracy.soforenko at gmail.com  Thu Feb  9 01:42:41 2017
From: tracy.soforenko at gmail.com (Tracy Soforenko)
Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2017 20:42:41 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Apply for the 2017  NFB National Scholarship
Message-ID: <000001d28275$cdc88220$69598660$@gmail.com>





 

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

2017 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

for blind high school seniors through grad school students

 

Program Begins: November 1, 2016

Deadline: Midnight, EST, March 31, 2017

 

$12,000 Scholarship

    "The Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship"

                             and

1 scholarship for $10,000 

2 scholarships for $8,000 each

                            4 scholarships for $5,000 each 

                       22 scholarships for $3,000 each

   

PLUS other gifts to our thirty scholarship finalists!

ARE YOU A LEGALLY BLIND HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR OR COLLEGE STUDENT?

Go to:  www.nfb.org/scholarships <http://www.nfb.org/scholarships> 

 

To apply:  During the five-month open period, read the rules and the
Submission Checklist, complete the official 2017 Scholarship Application
Form (online or in print), supply all required documents, and request and
complete one interview by an NFB affiliate president. Read the Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ) page for more information.

 

Questions? Contact the NFB Scholarship Program; Chairperson Patti Chang,
Esq.

E-mail: Scholarships at nfb.org <mailto:Scholarships at nfb.org> 

Office: (410) 659 -9314, ext. 2415, (8 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST)

 

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From markwroane at gmail.com  Thu Feb  9 23:05:14 2017
From: markwroane at gmail.com (Mark W. Roane)
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2017 18:05:14 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] URGENT, please contact your Virginia delegate about
 SB1199 Blind Parents; Custody or Visitation Rights
Message-ID: <001601d28328$f97f5d90$ec7e18b0$@gmail.com>

Hello Members & Friends,

 

First of all, I want to thank each of you for the work that you have put
into our legislative agenda.  We have just passed the half way point in the
2017 General Assembly and it is critically important that we continue to
promote our legislation through to the end of the session.

 

Senate bill SB1199 Blind Parents; Custody or Visitation Rights, sponsored by
Senator Barbara Favola, has passed the Virginia Senate unanimously (40 to 0)
and has "crossed over" to the Virginia House of Delegates where it has been
assigned to the Civil Law subcommittee of the Courts of Justice committee.
The House companion bill HB2273 was "tabled" when it was before this
subcommittee just a few weeks ago.  Therefore, it is very important that we
all call and/or email each member of the committee no later than Monday,
February 13 at 11:00 am and urge them to pass SB1199.  When you call each
member, simply let them know that the rights of blind parents are important
to you and that you support SB1199.  When you email each member, please put
"Please Pass SB1199 Blind Parents; Custody or Visitation Rights" in the
subject line.

 

Attached, and below, you will find the contact information for each member
of the Courts of Justice committee.

 

	
First Name

Last Name

Capitol Phone

Email

Room #


Civil

Jason S.

Miyares

(804) 698-1082

DelJMiyares at house.virginia.gov

410


Civil

James A. (Jay)

Leftwich Jr.

(804) 698-1078

DelJLeftwich at house.virginia.gov

417


Civil

Paul E.

Krizek

(804) 698-1044

DelPKrizek at house.virginia.gov

422

	
Charniele L.

Herring

(804) 698-1046

DelCHerring at house.virginia.gov

504

	
Christopher E.

Collins

(804) 698-1029

DelCCollins at house.virginia.gov

509

	
C. Todd

Gilbert

(804) 698-1015

DelTGilbert at house.virginia.gov

511

	
Vivian E.

Watts

(804) 698-1039

DelVWatts at house.virginia.gov

514


Civil

G. M. (Manoli)

Loupassi

(804) 698-1068

DelMLoupassi at house.virginia.gov

520


Civil

J. Randall

Minchew

(804) 698-1010

DelRMinchew at house.virginia.gov

525

	
David B.

Albo (Chair)

(804) 698-1042

DelDAlbo at house.virginia.gov

529


Civil

David J.

Toscano

(804) 698-1057

DelDToscano at house.virginia.gov

614


Civil

Terry G.

Kilgore

(804) 698-1001

DelTKilgore at house.virginia.gov

704


Civil

Jeffrey L.

Campbell

(804) 698-1006

DelJCampbell at house.virginia.gov

708


Civil

Patrick A.

Hope

(804) 698-1047

DelPHope at house.virginia.gov

712


Chair Civil

Gregory D.

Habeeb

(804) 698-1008

DelGHabeeb at house.virginia.gov

713

	
Leslie R. (Les)

Adams

(804) 698-1016

DelLAdams at house.virginia.gov

719

	
Jackson H.

Miller

(804) 698-1050

DelJMiller at house.virginia.gov

720

	
Benjamin L.

Cline

(804) 698-1024

DelBCline at house.virginia.gov

722

	
Robert B.

Bell (Vice Chair)

(804) 698-1058

DelRBell at house.virginia.gov

801

	
Michael P.

Mullin

(804) 698-1093

delmmullin at house.virginia.gov

806

	
Richard L.

Morris

(804) 698-1064

DelRMorris at house.virginia.gov

807

						

 

 

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From tracy.soforenko at gmail.com  Fri Feb 10 14:21:23 2017
From: tracy.soforenko at gmail.com (Tracy Soforenko)
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2017 09:21:23 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Clarification URGENT- please contact All Virginia
 House of Delegates Courts of Justice Committee Members about SB1199 Blind
 Parents; Custody or Visitation Rights
Message-ID: <017a01d283a8$f54aa560$dfdff020$@gmail.com>

Hi,

The subject line from Mark led to some confusion.
We need Federationists to contact all members of the Virginia House Courts
of Justice Committee, especially those on the Civil Law subcommittee. In
Mark's list below, members of the Civil Law subcommittee are preceded with
the word Civil. It doesn't matter whether you are a constituent. The members
of the House Courts of Justice committee need to know that the rights of
blind parents in Virginia are at risk. 

I can attest that in the past few weeks, based on our legislation, I have
been contacted by blind parents who are facing discrimination right now. It
is happening here in Virginia and we need your calls to help prevent it from
continuing.

Thank you for investing a few minutes today or Monday morning to make these
calls. If you can't make calls, emails are helpful but not quite as
effective.
Finally, I reiterate Mark's point that your efforts are why we have made
this progress and we are hopeful, with your encouragement, that the Virginia
House of Delegates will follow the Virginia Senate's lead.

Tracy Soforenko
President, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia
202 285-4595
Tracy.soforenko at gmail.com

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBV-Announce [mailto:nfbv-announce-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Mark W. Roane via NFBV-Announce
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2017 6:05 PM
To: NFBV-ANNOUNCE <nfbv-announce at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] URGENT, please contact your Virginia delegate about
SB1199 Blind Parents; Custody or Visitation Rights

Hello Members & Friends,

 

First of all, I want to thank each of you for the work that you have put
into our legislative agenda.  We have just passed the half way point in the
2017 General Assembly and it is critically important that we continue to
promote our legislation through to the end of the session.

 

Senate bill SB1199 Blind Parents; Custody or Visitation Rights, sponsored by
Senator Barbara Favola, has passed the Virginia Senate unanimously (40 to 0)
and has "crossed over" to the Virginia House of Delegates where it has been
assigned to the Civil Law subcommittee of the Courts of Justice committee.
The House companion bill HB2273 was "tabled" when it was before this
subcommittee just a few weeks ago.  Therefore, it is very important that we
all call and/or email each member of the committee no later than Monday,
February 13 at 11:00 am and urge them to pass SB1199.  When you call each
member, simply let them know that the rights of blind parents are important
to you and that you support SB1199.  When you email each member, please put
"Please Pass SB1199 Blind Parents; Custody or Visitation Rights" in the
subject line.

 

Attached, and below, you will find the contact information for each member
of the Courts of Justice committee.

 

	
First Name

Last Name

Capitol Phone

Email

Room #


Civil

Jason S.

Miyares

(804) 698-1082

DelJMiyares at house.virginia.gov

410


Civil

James A. (Jay)

Leftwich Jr.

(804) 698-1078

DelJLeftwich at house.virginia.gov

417


Civil

Paul E.

Krizek

(804) 698-1044

DelPKrizek at house.virginia.gov

422

	
Charniele L.

Herring

(804) 698-1046

DelCHerring at house.virginia.gov

504

	
Christopher E.

Collins

(804) 698-1029

DelCCollins at house.virginia.gov

509

	
C. Todd

Gilbert

(804) 698-1015

DelTGilbert at house.virginia.gov

511

	
Vivian E.

Watts

(804) 698-1039

DelVWatts at house.virginia.gov

514


Civil

G. M. (Manoli)

Loupassi

(804) 698-1068

DelMLoupassi at house.virginia.gov

520


Civil

J. Randall

Minchew

(804) 698-1010

DelRMinchew at house.virginia.gov

525

	
David B.

Albo (Chair)

(804) 698-1042

DelDAlbo at house.virginia.gov

529


Civil

David J.

Toscano

(804) 698-1057

DelDToscano at house.virginia.gov

614


Civil

Terry G.

Kilgore

(804) 698-1001

DelTKilgore at house.virginia.gov

704


Civil

Jeffrey L.

Campbell

(804) 698-1006

DelJCampbell at house.virginia.gov

708


Civil

Patrick A.

Hope

(804) 698-1047

DelPHope at house.virginia.gov

712


Chair Civil

Gregory D.

Habeeb

(804) 698-1008

DelGHabeeb at house.virginia.gov

713

	
Leslie R. (Les)

Adams

(804) 698-1016

DelLAdams at house.virginia.gov

719

	
Jackson H.

Miller

(804) 698-1050

DelJMiller at house.virginia.gov

720

	
Benjamin L.

Cline

(804) 698-1024

DelBCline at house.virginia.gov

722

	
Robert B.

Bell (Vice Chair)

(804) 698-1058

DelRBell at house.virginia.gov

801

	
Michael P.

Mullin

(804) 698-1093

delmmullin at house.virginia.gov

806

	
Richard L.

Morris

(804) 698-1064

DelRMorris at house.virginia.gov

807

						

 

 

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From holleymanor at verizon.net  Sun Feb 12 20:52:57 2017
From: holleymanor at verizon.net (Rick Holley)
Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2017 15:52:57 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Feb. At Large Meeting Date Change
Message-ID: <A03E9E812F984FAAADA805E1D08B3464@LENOVO0A00C700>

Happy Valentines Day, we will not meet on the 14th, but meet on the 21st.  More info to follow.

Rick Holley

Kandace, please post, thanks


From john_bailey17 at hotmail.com  Mon Feb 13 13:20:08 2017
From: john_bailey17 at hotmail.com (John Bailey)
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2017 13:20:08 +0000
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Fairfax chapter meets this Thursday at the Red
 Lobster at 6:30 pm
Message-ID: <DM3PR15MB106618ACB80087F8CAC580AC8F590@DM3PR15MB1066.namprd15.prod.outlook.com>

You are invited to join us for the Fairfax chapter of the NFB meeting.

When Thursday, Feb. 16
Where  Red lobster 10325 Fairfax Blvd, Fairfax, VA 22030
Dinner starts at 6:30 PM. The meeting starts at 7:00pm and runs till 8:30 PM.

Joe Orozco will be our guest speaker for the evening. He will be talking about his work with the FBI and his career. By the way, Joe is blind.

Want information about how a blind person can have a career in law enforcement? Join us and have your questions answered.

In addition to Joe's fascinating  program on being an employee of the FBI, we will have several other smaller programs that you will be interested in.

Recently WMATA (aka Metro Access) issued new ID cards to its riders. Did you find the information in alternative formats helpful? My guess is no because there wasn't any. WMATA only issues alternative formats of their information upon request and that is unsatisfactory. At our Thursday meeting, we will review a draft letter from the chapter and vote on it to WMATA requesting that all printed information from their organization automatically be available in alternate formats. And, much more. Come and let's talk about it.

And, chapter Treasurer Joy Relton will be giving a summary of information she received at a program that discussed how blind people can effectively network. Joy will go through her notes so that we can all be power networkers.

Have any questions? Feel free to contact president John Bailey(john_bailey17 at hotmail.com)  or Vice President Carolena Garrison (garrisonlena1 at gmail.com).

See everyone Thursday!



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From chrisvinson1 at gmail.com  Tue Feb 14 11:41:24 2017
From: chrisvinson1 at gmail.com (Chris Walker)
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2017 06:41:24 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Community wellness festival, Winchester chapter
Message-ID: <696839D6-EE08-49DE-A699-42739415CAA1@gmail.com>

Hello Federation family,
The Winchester chapter will be participating in the community wellness festival on Saturday, February 25, 2017 from 10 AM to 6 PM. The festival will be held at the appleblossom mall located in Winchester, Virginia!
We invite our members and family to come out to this exciting event. We will be getting information and resources out to our community!
If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Christopher Walker
National Federation of the Blind 
Vice-President, Winchester Chapter
Corresponding Secretary, NFB of Virginia
www.nfbv.org
chrisvinson1 at gmail.com
540.303.0080


From tracy.soforenko at gmail.com  Wed Feb 15 00:43:39 2017
From: tracy.soforenko at gmail.com (Tracy Soforenko)
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2017 19:43:39 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Compete in the Richmond Chapter Chili Festival
In-Reply-To: <000001d286f2$0f059f40$2d10ddc0$@gmail.com>
References: <000001d286f2$0f059f40$2d10ddc0$@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <059c01d28724$8ceb50d0$a6c1f270$@gmail.com>

>From Robert Parsons, Richmond Chapter President

rob.parso3389 at gmail.com
Good Afternoon Federationists

 

With the weather being so unpredictable, many of us are not sure whether or
not the groundhog needs one of our white canes. The past week has been a
whirlwind of high 70-degree weather and cold 30-degree weather.
Nevertheless, there is one thing that we all can agree on whether the
weather is warm or not, and that is that we all love a good bowl of chili.
For this reason, I am pleased to share a brand new event the Richmond
chapter will be having. You are all cordially invited to the Richmond
chapter chili festival, a gathering of friends, community members, families,
and fun. This exciting event will have a variety of different opportunities
for engagement, community awareness, and most of all great eating.

 

There are a few important pieces to this festival. First, there will be an
official chili tasting contest. All affiliate members, community members,
and family members are invited to enter their own pot of chili into the
tasting contest for a chance to win one of three prizes (the top three pots
of chili will receive prizes). If you would rather come to the festival to
just eat and )connect with the Richmond chapter and other attendees, there
will be a $5 cover charge that will include your entrance ticket (there will
be several door prizes), your fill of chili, desserts/cornbread/beverages,
and an opportunity to take part in our action auction. This time at the
festival will also give the NFBV a chance to show the Richmond community
just how united throughout the state of Virginia we really are. Aside from
the fact that we don't see our NFB friends enough, it is a great opportunity
to take a break from work, school, or life to unwind and laugh. If you are
interested in competing in the chili contest but are worried about where to
make your pot, don't worry. I am happy to help my NFB family use my kitchen
space in Richmond to prepare their pot (as long as I get free samples). 

 

The Richmond Chili Festival will take place on Saturday, March 25, 2017 from
11am until 3pm. It will be at St. Bridget's Catholic Church, located on 6006
Three Chopt Rd, Richmond, VA 23226. This is an event that we would like to
get people to RSVP for in order to know how many people to expect and how
many desserts to provide. Therefore, if you are going to attend the chili
festival as an attendee, please contact me via phone at 804 200 3275 or
email at rob.parso3389 at gmail.com <mailto:rob.parso3389 at gmail.com> . If you
are planning to enter the chili festival as a contestant with a pot of
chili, please contact Marquanna Williams at 804 301 6429. Finally, if you
intend to donate any type of item (whether it be finances, dessert, or a
door prize), please contact Domonique Lawless at 615 904 4225. The last day
to RSVP for this event will be Wednesday, March 15, 2017. Remember, all
attendees that are not competing in the chili contest itself must pay $5 at
the door. I look forward to connecting with all of you in March and hearing
an RSVP from you very soon.  

 

Blessings

 

Robert E. Parsons Jr.

President, Richmond Chapter

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia (NFBV)

Phone: 804 200 3275

 



From tracy.soforenko at gmail.com  Wed Feb 15 04:04:39 2017
From: tracy.soforenko at gmail.com (Tracy Soforenko)
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2017 23:04:39 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Blind Parents Bill Fails in House of Delegates
Message-ID: <060301d28740$a1687580$e4396080$@gmail.com>

Hi Virginia Federationists

 

Monday, in the Virginia House  of Delegates courts of Justice Civil Law
Subcommittee, our Blind Parents bill (SB1199) was tabled thus ending our
efforts this year in the General Assembly.

If you want background and details on the bill, please  check out our 2017
Priorities of the Blind which can be found on our fact sheet included on
www.NFBV.org <http://www.NFBV.org> 

 

New legislation rarely passes in its first year in the General assembly.
Through your efforts, we educated our legislators about the challenges blind
parents are facing in custody situations in Virginia and across the country.
While we were able to convince the Senate to support the bill unanimously,
opposition from the Virginia Bar Association's Family Law Consortium raised
doubts in the minds of the House Civil Law subcommittee members. This is the
second time in 2 weeks the house Civil Law subcommittee has tabled the bill
after hearing from the Virginia Family Law Consortium. This legislation will
not proceed this year. 

 

Your advocacy efforts were helpful. Instead of immediately tabling our bill
as they did last time, the  committee members  asked numerous question in a
discussion which lasted 20+ minutes . Unfortunately,  they still tabled our
bill. 

 

Mark Roane and Earl Everett were so committed to drive our legislation
forward. Mark and Earl met with the staff of every member of the House
courts of Justice committee. They attended multiple committee meetings over
the past 3 weeks and we certainly owe them our thanks and appreciation.
Derek Manners, who outlined our legislative issues at the Richmond seminar
and was the key developer of our 2017 priorities for the Blind, prepared a
detailed explanation refuting the key points of the Virginia Family Law
Consortium that was distributed to each member of the House Courts of
Justice Committee.

 

We thank Mark, Earl and Derek for their  tremendous efforts and appreciate
the work of so many of our members in advocating for this legislation. We
are committed to the rights    of blind parents and will continue to work to
address these challenges in the 2018 legislative session.

 

Tracy Soforenko

President, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

202 285-4595

Tracy.soforenko at gmail.com <mailto:Tracy.soforenko at gmail.com> 

 

 



From chrisvinson1 at gmail.com  Thu Feb 16 18:14:13 2017
From: chrisvinson1 at gmail.com (Chris Walker)
Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2017 13:14:13 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Fwd: The Concerns of the Virginia Family Law
 Coalition & Our Rebuttal regarding Protection for Blind Parents Bill HB
 2273 / SB 1199
In-Reply-To: <06c301d2880a$648ae380$2da0aa80$@gmail.com>
References: <06c301d2880a$648ae380$2da0aa80$@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <CAJnU-TmK794t5Us36qnEupij_rScXS9CttvRecRqtEMPd+dMgw@mail.gmail.com>

>From Derek Manners dmanners at jd16.law.harvard.edu


Hi Virginia Federationists,


Here is a copy of the most recent version of the memo Mark and Earl
circulated for us in Richmond refuting the points raised by the Virginia
Family Law Coalition, the family law division of the Virginia Bar
Association, in opposition to our bill to protect the rights of blind
parents in Virginia.  This memo contains citations to even more extensive
sources that helped inform us on these issues.  It is definitely
encouraging that so many people are interested in this issue and getting a
better understanding of the opposition we face in securing this needed
protection for the blind in Virginia.  If anybody has any comments,
questions, suggestions, or other resources they?d like to share, feel free
to have them reach out to me at dmanners at jd16.law.harvard.edu.



Best regards

Derek Manners
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From fschroeder at sks.com  Sat Feb 18 16:10:41 2017
From: fschroeder at sks.com (Fredric Schroeder)
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2017 11:10:41 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Library of Congress seeks participants for focus
 groups
Message-ID: <00de01d28a01$8da077f0$a8e167d0$@sks.com>

FYI.

 

Fredric K. Schroeder, Ph.D.

 

From: Zack Russo [mailto:zrusso at reingold.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2017 3:47 PM
To: fschroeder at sks.com
Subject: Library of Congress seeks participants for focus groups

 

Dear Frederic, 

 

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, is hosting a focus group to get feedback on television and radio commercial concepts for its braille and talking book program ? and as an organization that works with the same groups of people that NLS supports, you are in a special position to help us identify participants.

 

Please spread the word about the focus group among individuals who have a visual impairment or physical disability that makes it difficult to read traditional print material, including those who are 55 and older, students, and veterans. The focus group will take place on March 12, 14, or 15, 2017 in Alexandria, Virginia. To make it easier for your organization to spread the word, we have attached information that you can personalize and share with your contacts by email or in person.

 

Interested individuals should contact me at (202) 559-4440 ext. 024 or  <mailto:zrusso at reingold.com> zrusso at reingold.com. Once they express their interest, they will be interviewed by phone; those who are selected and who complete the focus group will receive a $100 gift card.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you for your support! 

 

Best regards,

Zack

____________________

Zack Russo

Communications Associate

 

Reingold

433 E. Monroe Ave.


Alexandria, VA 22301


Main: 202.333.0400

Direct: 202.559.4440 (x024)

Mobile: 757.408.3906

 

 <http://www.reingold.com/> www.reingold.com

 

We're on a mission. Yours.

 <https://www.facebook.com/ReingoldInc> Facebook ?  <http://www.linkedin.com/company/85094?trk=prof-0-ovw-curr_pos> LinkedIn ?  <https://twitter.com/ReingoldInc> Twitter

 

About NLS

 

Through its braille and talking book program, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, provides free reading and music materials ? including braille and audio books and magazines ? to people with a visual impairment or physical disability that impairs their ability to use traditional print material. For more information, visit  <http://www.loc.gov/thatallmayread> loc.gov/ThatAllMayRead. 

 

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From holleymanor at verizon.net  Sun Feb 19 18:02:24 2017
From: holleymanor at verizon.net (Rick Holley)
Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2017 13:02:24 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] At Large Chapter Meeting, February 21
Message-ID: <144C0542750E4CDA969FFCDE6E39886D@LENOVO0A00C700>

Greetings, yes we will this month.

Date: February, 21
Time: 8 Pm
Subject: At Large Constitution
Speaker: Patrick Johnson
Conf. Number: 877-394-5901
Password: 6149670

Bring your thoughts and more.

Rick

Kandace, please post,
Patrick, are we ready?

From chrisvinson1 at gmail.com  Mon Feb 20 20:37:44 2017
From: chrisvinson1 at gmail.com (Chris Walker)
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2017 15:37:44 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Fwd: Wine Tasting
In-Reply-To: <001901d28ba6$c1512bc0$43f38340$@verizon.net>
References: <001901d28ba6$c1512bc0$43f38340$@verizon.net>
Message-ID: <CAJnU-T=q-jWr-cYEFkU_V29V1MxJ9qhik+LwCM0FcMogY3r6eg@mail.gmail.com>

*Libations Anyone? Cheese and Chocolate lover?*



If you answered yes to the above questions you?ve come to the right place!



   - The Potomac Chapter NFB is holding our annual Wine Tasting at Bistro
   360, 1800 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, Virginia  22201





The date is March 4th and the time is 3:00pm-5:00pm. All are welcome to
stay for dinner afterwards at your own cost. The food is delicious and the
fellowship is best!!



Cost for Wine Tasting: $45.00/person



As always, we expect a nice percentage of the cost of your wine order will
go back to the chapter*!* So don?t delay and get those RSVPS in to ME, your
friendly Social Chair no later than Wednesday March 1st by 10:00pm via
e-mail or phone. Thanks!



We look forward to seeing you!





RSVP to me:

Sarah Blumberg, PCNFB Social Chair

sarahblumb at gmail.com

202-427-4814 <(202)%20427-4814>


From markwroane at gmail.com  Tue Feb 21 20:42:09 2017
From: markwroane at gmail.com (Mark W. Roane)
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2017 15:42:09 -0500
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] FW: 2017 Learning Excellence In Academics Program
 (LEAP)
In-Reply-To: <C219E548573DFF40B20043BFA294760DBD50C183@COVMSGCES-MBX12>
References: <C219E548573DFF40B20043BFA294760DBD50C160@COVMSGCES-MBX12>
	<C219E548573DFF40B20043BFA294760DBD50C183@COVMSGCES-MBX12>
Message-ID: <003201d28c82$f97dbd10$ec793730$@gmail.com>

We have been asked to distribute the following information.  If you have any
questions, please do not reply to this announcement but, contact VRCBVI
directly using the contact information located in the brochure.

 

 

From: Roane, Melody (DBVI) [mailto:Melody.Roane at dbvi.virginia.gov] 
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2017 4:18 PM
To: 'Mark W. Roane' <markwroane at gmail.com>
Subject: 2017 Learning Excellence In Academics Program (LEAP)

 

Hello everyone,

 

VRCBVI and VCU are excited to announce the 2017 Learning Excellence In
Academics Program (LEAP.)  Please find attached the brochure outlining the
program which is designed for high school juniors and seniors and 2017 high
school graduates.

 

There are a few things that I want to bring to your attention about this
year's program.

 

First, the deadline for application is April 14.  This is a hard and fast
deadline established by VCU.  No applications will be accepted after this
date.  If you need assistance in getting this information out to students
who would benefit, please let me know and VRCBVI will help out in whatever
way we can.

 

Second, thanks to VCU, the LEAP application is available online through the
link in the brochure.

 

Third, as the result of feedback we received from students last year, we
have added a skills of blindness component to the program.  In the past,
students have been in classes at VCU Monday through Friday.  This year, they
will be in VCU classes Monday through Thursday and on Friday will
participate in classes at VRCBVI.  Students may want additional training in
access technology to enhance their ability to participate in the VCU
academic classes, or they may determine that there are other skills they
need to work on to be successful in college.  Students will have the
opportunity to determine which classes they will take on Fridays in
collaboration with their parents, VRCBVI instructors and the appropriate VR
counselor.

 

Finally, LEAP participants will be expected to bring their own technology
and adaptive software to use in classes.

 

If you have any questions or would like additional information about LEAP,
please do not hesitate to let me know.

 

Thanks and have a great day!

 

Melody Roane, Director

Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind & Vision Impaired

401 Azalea Avenue

Richmond, Virginia 23227

Phone: 804-371-3323

Email: melody.roane at dbvi.virginia.gov
<mailto:melody.roane at dbvi.virginia.gov> 

Twitter: @VRCBVI_Strong <https://twitter.com/VRCBVI_Cares> 

Facebook: VDBVI <https://www.facebook.com/VDBVI> 

Worldwide Web: www.vrcbvi.org <http://www.vrcbvi.org> 

 

**CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE**

This message (including any attachments) contains information that may be
confidential. Unless you are the intended recipient (or authorized to
receive for the intended recipient), you may not read, print, retain, use,
copy, distribute, or disclose to anyone the message or any information
contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please
advise the sender by reply e-mail, and destroy all copies of the original
message (including any attachments).

 

 

 

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From john_bailey17 at hotmail.com  Mon Feb 27 16:32:00 2017
From: john_bailey17 at hotmail.com (John Bailey)
Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2017 16:32:00 +0000
Subject: [Nfbv-announce] Fairfax Chapter : goalball, motorcycles,
 rock climbing, movies, and more. Read all about it.
Message-ID: <DM3PR15MB10663B611D051F9F654868FF8F570@DM3PR15MB1066.namprd15.prod.outlook.com>

Next meeting Date: March 16, 2017
Meeting time: 6:30 PM (order dinner) till 8:30 PM
Meeting location: Fairfax Red Lobster, 10325 Fairfax Blvd, Fairfax, 22030


This Month's Meeting....
On Thursday, March 16, 2017, we will be having our next scheduled meeting at the Red Lobster located at 10325 Fairfax Blvd. We will be demonstrating how being vision-impaired doesn't have to impact participating in sports.

Carolena Garrison has arranged for representatives from the  Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes to demonstrate how blindness needn't be a barrier to physical health and fun. They will discuss their programs like yoga and Goalball. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get the information you need to participate in a sport you will love.

At last month's meeting...
Rodney Neely, Annette Carr, and Joy Relton created an outstanding letter on behalf of the chapter informing Metro Access that their documentation sent out to their blind patrons is not accessible. By default, Metro Access creates no accessible documents unless it is explicitly requested by users of the service.

The letter crafted by the chapter leadership points out this problem and suggest several solutions as well as identifying several other areas where Metro Access can improve.

The letter was brought before our members at the February meeting where the letter was approved to be sent out to officials of the transportation service. We are currently compiling a list of officials and will be sending out the document soon. We will keep you updated on the response.

How about a movie night for vision-impaired teens?
Our newest chapter member Jay Burke working with  Annette Carr and Joy Relton are arranging a 'movie night' for vision impaired teens. The chapter was approached by Fairfax County teachers of the vision-impaired with a problem. They told us that students with partial vision have challenges in social situations. So, the chapter suggested that we get everyone together for a movie night where they can safely practice their social skills. The movie night will include: an audio described popular movie, popcorn, drinks, pizza, and lots of socializing. Now, this is the kind of activity the chapter is really good at arranging!

We are looking for chapter volunteers to help out at the meeting as well as being positive role models for the teens. The target date for the movie night is the evening of April 1. If you are interested in being part, email John Bailey at john_bailey17 at hotmail.com and we will keep you updated as arrangements are finalized.

Blind people and motorcycles. What could be more fun?
Larry Larson from the Fairfax Harley Owner's Group is working with the chapter to arrange another motorcycle ride around the city sometime during April on a weekend.

We had over 20 attendees last time who dawned their leathers and helmets for a grand tour of the city and a post tour lunch at a local restaurant. Everyone agreed that we must do it again and we will. And, there just might be room for you too!

As the date is finalized, I will be sending out an announcement and we will be taking names of people who wish to participate. We will have a lot more motorcycles this time and that means we will have more room for riders. Stay tuned.

Announcing plans for joint Winchester and Fairfax activities!
Chris Walker from the Winchester chapter and Carolena Garrison are planning several joint and fun activities for the spring and summer. For example, they are discussing returning to do rock climbing again. This activity was very popular last year and should be even more fun this time. Stay tuned.


The Fairfax Chapter meets its goal of membership growth!
At the last meeting, the Fairfax Chapter exceeded its membership goals for the year. In as few as two years, the chapter has increased its membership by over 500 percent. Our growth comes from our members telling their friends about how much they enjoy belonging to the Fairfax Chapter and inviting them to attend a meeting. That is all it takes. Our greatest membership growth tool is our own membership.

Want more information or have suggestions? Contact Fairfax Chapter President John Bailey via email at john_bailey17 at hotmail.com or via phone at 703.994.2040



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