NFBN 2017 Convention Agenda
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF NEBRASKA
46th ANNUAL STATE CONVENTION
OCTOBER 13-15 2017
Divots Lodge and Convention Center
Norfolk, Nebraska
National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska
Amy Buresh, President
1033 O Street, Suite 24B
Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: (402) 477-7711
Web Site: http://www.ne.nfb.org
Transcribed Into Braille
by Jolene Boshart
J. B. Translations
5135 South Street
Lincoln, NE 68506
Phone: (402) 483-5088
“WELCOME” FROM THE OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Officers:
Amy Buresh, President, Lincoln
Jeff Altman, First Vice President, Lincoln
Mike Hansen, Second Vice President, Lincoln
Jamie Richey, Secretary, Lincoln
Cheryl Livingston, Treasurer, Lincoln
Members of the Board of Directors:
Shane Buresh, Lincoln
Stacey Cloyd-Scruggs, Omaha
Nancy Coffman, Lincoln
Geralyn Konruff, Chappel
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter, Omaha
Ross Pollpeter, Omaha
ABOUT THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF NEBRASKA
The National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. Together with love, hope, and determination, we transform dreams into reality.
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND PLEDGE
I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.
STAY CONNECTED AND IN THE KNOW!
Follow the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska on Twitter! Visit http://www.twitter.com/nfbn
Like us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/nebraskasblind
Stay connected with your fellow Nebraska Federationists by joining our state e-mail listserv. This list allows you to receive affiliate and national announcements. To sign up, visit www.nfbnet.org.
Visit us online at http://www.ne.nfb.org.
FUNDING THE MOVEMENT
GET ON THE PAC PLAN!
At the 1974 national board meeting, E.U. Parker came up with the idea of what we first called the Bank Draft Pledge System to help finance the Federation. This system is now called the Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) Plan. The PAC Plan has come to be an ever-more important part of financing the movement. According to the chairman of the NFB’s PAC committee, Scott LaBarre, the Federation has raised more than $10,000,000 over the years through the PAC Plan. The PAC Plan allows members, affiliates, chapters, and others to give a regular and automatic donation to the Federation every month. All you have to provide is your checking or savings account identification information. Because of the costs associated with operating the program, the minimum donation is $5 a month and there is no restriction on how much you donate.
Barbara Loos chairs our PAC efforts. Please contact her to begin a new PAC contribution or to make changes to your current contribution. Barbara can be reached by phone at (402) 486-3679 or e-mail beloos@neb.rr.com. Your donation will help the blind live the lives we want.
EXHIBITS
WE EXTEND SINCEREST GRATITUDE TO OUR SPONSORS!
Jernigan Level Sponsor
Nebraska Association of Transportation Professionals
Moving Nebraskans to the Good Life...
Transit is for Everyone!
NEBRASKA ASSOCIATION OF TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS
Our passengers want to maintain their autonomy, dignity and self-esteem. They are people who may have a physical limitation, do not have the resources to provide their own transportation, or are conscious of the environmental effects of utilizing their own vehicle. Our services allow individuals to have a choice to be independent and not be a direct burden to the State, their local communities or their families. Our members provide affordable, safe and dependable transportation services to citizens from across the state. Find a transportation provider in your area by visiting:
PO Box 10 - Milford, NE 68405
(402) 761-2216
White Cane Level Sponsor
NanoPac
NanoPac is the distributor for Freedom Scientific and many other vendors in Nebraska. Pat Fischer covers the entire state of Nebraska for all sales and service. Please contact Pat if you need a quote or service. His contact is:
Patrick J. Fischer
NanoPac, Inc.
402-699-4357
patrick@nanopac.com
www.NanoPac.com
Technology for Independence since 1987
Vendors will be here Friday from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM to Noon to demonstrate their products. Visit them in the Link area.
The following is a partial list of exhibitors:
iCanConnect/Assistive Technology Partnership, Exhibitor
NanoPac, Exhibitor
National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska, Exhibitor
On The Go, Exhibitor
Note: This year we will once again be conducting a special prize drawing for all those who can prove that they have visited all the exhibitors. You will be given a card in your registration packet which each exhibitor needs to punch. If your card is complete, it will go into the hat for a special drawing Sunday morning. Must be present to win.
Stand up And Live the Life You Want, A Night of Comedy and Music for Change $5.00 admission, $3.00 to perform
Banquet is over but don't go to bed just yet! $3 lets you be one of the entertainers! Proceeds will go to fund the 2018 BELL Academy. NFBN member and standup comedian Stephanie Wagle challenges you to let your inner star shine. Play an instrument? Like karaoke? Let us hear you. Think you’re funny? Put your own humorous spin on your comparison of your perceptions versus societal perceptions of blindness and/or what a world where blind people having equal rights is not even a question looks like to you. Like a karaoke night at the Comedy Club, amateurs are encouraged! Whether among the performers or the members of the audience, I guarantee you will hit the pillow laughing. This event puts the "fun" in "fundraiser". Call or text Stephanie Wagle at (402) 515-2221 to be on the performance line-up.
CONVENTION ARRANGEMENTS
If you have any questions about convention arrangements, contact Mike Hansen, Convention Arrangements Chair.
All persons taking advantage of the reduced room rates offered by Divots for this convention are required to register with the convention and to pay the registration fee of $25.00.
DOG RELIEF
The hotel has stated that any grassy area is fine to use.
ALL SHOOK UP
You may be the lucky winner of a fabulous door prize!
Names will be drawn throughout the general sessions and banquet. To be eligible to win, you only need to be registered and be present when your name is drawn. All donations of door prizes should be clearly labeled in Braille and print and turned in to Jamie Richey, Door Prize Chairperson.
CONVENTION AGENDA
Friday, October 13, 2017
11:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.: Registration — Dakota Foyer, Mike Hansen, Convention Arrangements Chair
Registration Costs
Registration: $25
Friday Lunch and Learn: $20
Banquet: $50
So Long Box Lunch: $20
All convention participants must register to be eligible for door prizes, hotel convention rates, and to participate in convention activities. Both print and braille agendas are available at the registration desk.
12:00 P.M.: Lunch and Learn – Bountiful Harvest Room
1:00 P.M.: Opening of General Session—Bountiful Harvest Room.
Call to Order: Amy Buresh President, National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska
Invocation: Linda Mentink, Columbus, Nebraska
Welcome to Norfolk: Andy Colvin, City Administrator, Norfolk, Nebraska.
Housekeeping and Announcements: Mike Hansen, Convention Arrangements Chair, Lincoln, Nebraska
1:15 P.M.: A Bridge Between Baltimore and You: Empowering Us to Live the Lives We Want: The National Report. Anil Lewis, Executive Director, Jernigan Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.
2:00 P.M.: Living the Life You Want Through the Pages of a Book: News from the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Services. Scott Scholz, Director, Lincoln, Nebraska.
2:25 P.M.: Living the Life We Want on the Road: Getting From Here to There: Helping Us Travel Where we Want, Kari Ruse, NDOT Transportation Manager, William Bivin and Tiffany Fougeron, Nebraska Association of Transportation Professionals
3:00 P.M.: Adjourn.
3:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.: Exhibits—Link Area
3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.: Walk This Way — Dakota Room. Jamie Richey and Bridgit Pollpeter Co-chairs. Drop in and participate in the first ever Walk for Independence event at state convention! Turn in collected funds and challenge your mind and body with fun activities! Prizes will be awarded to the top three fund- raisers.
3:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M.: Tactile Art. See it. Touch it. Learn How to Create it — Field of Dreams Room Jeremy and Lisa Johnson Facilitators. For the past two years, Jeremy Johnson, art professor at UNO and Lisa Johnson, Director of Student Support Services at Nebraska Methodist College have facilitated art workshops for the visually impaired. Their focus was to provide opportunities to empower the visually impaired to explore clay, weaving, tactile drawing and stone carving in an accessible environment. Each year, four day-long workshops were held at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, each day highlighting a different topic. Following the workshops, participants had the option of submitting their art for inclusion in an art gallery exhibition entitled, "Sensory, Please Touch the Art" an exhibition in which everything could be felt, listened to or interacted with in different ways beyond sight. .Last year's gallery exhibition was in the top 10 best gallery exhibitions in the region. This year's exhibition is scheduled for January, 2018. The presenters will talk about their inspiration for these workshops, share some of the work created in the workshops and demonstrate some of the techniques taught in the classes.
5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.: Registration—Dakota Foyer. Mike Hansen, Convention Arrangements Chair
Registration Costs
Registration: $25
Banquet: $50
So Long Box Lunch: $20
All convention participants must register to be eligible for door prizes, hotel convention rates, and to participate in convention activities. Both print and braille agendas are available at the registration desk.
5:30 P.M.: Nominating Committee (closed meeting): Jeff Altman, Nominating Committee Chair
6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.: Rookie Round-Up: — Field of Dreams Room: Bridgit Pollpeter, Facilitator. If you are new to our convention, then we strongly urge you to attend this event. You’ll have a chance to meet and hear from Federation leaders and learn first-hand who and what we are all about.
7:00 P.M.: Resolutions Committee— Field of Dreams Room Barbara Loos, Chair
8:30 PM to 12:00 P.M.: Trivia Night! —Bountiful Harvest Room. Gather your smartest friends together or come yourself and join a team. Show off your mental agility and win something sweet! $5.00 entry fee per round (three rounds played). Top notch items will be auctioned off in between trivia rounds. A cash bar will be available. Proceeds go to fund state and national legislative efforts.
Saturday, October 14, 2017
7:30 A.M.: Breakfast with the Board: (Open to all) —Field of Dreams Room- bring your meal and hear from the board of directors.
8:30 A.M. to 9:30 P.M.: Registration — Dakota Foyer, Mike Hansen, Convention Arrangements Chair
Registration Costs
Registration: $25
Banquet: $50
So Long Box Lunch: $20
All convention participants must register to be eligible for door prizes, hotel convention rates, and to participate in convention activities. Both print and braille agendas are available at the registration desk.
9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.: Exhibits: Link Area
9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. 1Touch™ Self-Defense—Dakota Room. Jeff Altman, Facilitator. Practical, effective and empowering, the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska is pleased to present an introduction to 1Touch Self-Defense. This training will introduce the basic movements and concepts of the 1Touch system, including One Touch, One Step, Releases, Feeds, Basic Locks, Contouring, and Touch Strike. This seminar is your opportunity to learn about this system of self-defense which can help you build the confidence and techniques to effectively respond to the sort of unexpected situations that could impact your personal safety.
10:00 A.M. To 12:00 P.M.: Senior Division Meeting— bountiful Harvest Room Robert Newman, President. Unfortunately, many blind and visually impaired seniors believe that if blindness comes during their later years, life's major activities must come to an end. We know differently and we want to share our knowledge with those who hunger for it. Blindness in and of itself is not a barrier to living life, not when engaging in leisure, learning, living, and leadership.
11:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.: NABS business meeting — Veranda: Stacey Cloyd-Scruggs, President Whether you are a high school student preparing to attend college, a nontraditional student, a seasoned college veteran, or a professional employed in the education of blind students come and join us.
2:00 P.M.: General Session: —Bountiful Harvest Room.
2:05 P.M.: Empowering Us To Live The Lives We Want And Prove We Can Do STEM Too: My Youth Slam Experience: Jonathan Ellis, Kearney Nebraska, Maura Loberg, Wayne, Nebraska.
2:25 P.M.: Notes From the Chairman: Commission Board Report, Mike Hansen, National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska, Designee to the NCBVI Board of Commissioners, Lincoln, Nebraska.
2:35 P.M.: Partners for Success in Living the Lives We Want: Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired Report, Carlos Servan, Executive Director Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Lincoln, Nebraska.
3:00 P.M.: From Target Adds to TV Listings, Magazines and Newspapers + So Much More: Helping Us To Be Empowered and in the Know: Reading the News Where, When and How we Want: NFB-Newsline®, Jamie Richey, Newsline® Coordinator; President, NFBN, Lincoln Chapter,Lincoln, Nebraska.
3:25 P.M.: Takin’ Care of Business: Reports and Resolutions
4:00 P.M.: Access to Television – Watching What we Want When we Want: All about the FCC Guidelines and Technical Requirements, Glenn Ervin, Member, National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska, Norfolk, Nebraska.
4:20 P.M.: Straight From the Heart: Why I Am A Federationist: Nancy Coffman, Member, Board of Directors, NFBN, Lincoln, Nebraska.
4:35 P.M.: Reports and Resolutions.
5:00 P.M.: Adjourn.
6:00 P.M.: Cocktail Reception/Cash Bar — Bountiful Harvest and Field of Dreams Rooms
7:00 P.M.: Annual NFBN Banquet — Bountiful Harvest and Field of Dreams Rooms, Emcee: Barbara Loos.
Invocation: Cheryl Livingston, Treasurer, National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska.
Keynote Address: Anil Lewis, Executive Director, Jernigan Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.
Scholarships: Shane Buresh, Chairperson.
9:30 P.M.: Standup and Live the Life You Want: A Night of Comedy and Music for Change $5.00 admission, $3.00 to perform
Banquet is over but don't go to bed just yet! $3 lets you be one of the entertainers! Proceeds will go to fund the 2018 BELL Academy. NFBN member and standup comedian Stephanie Wagle challenges you to let your inner star shine. Play an instrument? Like karaoke? Let us hear you. Think you’re funny? Put your own humorous spin on your comparison of your perceptions versus societal perceptions of blindness and/or what a world where blind people having equal rights is not even a question looks like to you. Like a karaoke night at the Comedy Club, amateurs are encouraged! Whether among the performers or the members of the audience, I guarantee you will hit the pillow laughing. This event puts the "fun" in "fundraiser". Call or text Stephanie Wagle at (402) 515-2221 to be on the performance line-up.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
8:00 A.M.: Non-denominational Devotions— Room A. Linda Mentink and Christine Boone, Coordinators
9:00 A.M.: General Session: —Bountiful Harvest Room.
Invocation: Shane Buresh, Member, NFBN Board of Directors,
9:05 A.M.: Do You Dream In Color. “If you can dream it you can do it.” - Walt Disney. Winning the highest Jacob Bolotin award of $15,000 in 2017 for outstanding contributions toward achieving the full integration of the blind into society on the basis of equality, Sarah Ivy and Abigail Fuller create a film that is thought provoking, educational, and inspiring.
Connor, Nick, Sarah and Carina are like most teenagers navigating the challenges of high school, but unlike their peers – they’re blind. Do You Dream in Color? Is a powerful and inspiring look at the journeys of these courageous teenagers. Their true stories highlight the many obstacles faced by blind students, and how they overcome them to live the lives they want. Discussion to follow.
10:50 A.M.: Ignite the propellant of this convention: from Norfolk to North Platte, Omaha to Ogallala and beyond, Anil Lewis, Executive Director, Jernigan Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
12:00 P.M.: Adjourn
SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE STATE PRESIDENT
To those who helped with registration, welcomed new members, assisted with hospitality, served on committees, collected and baked door prizes and auction items, your efforts are truly appreciated. This is OUR Federation! We built it and we will continue to grow it.
To our distinguished guests and presenters, thank you for your service and your commitment to increasing opportunities for blind children and adults in Nebraska.
To those who contributed to PAC, played trivia, sold raffle tickets and participated in all the fund-raisers needed to support our organization, your generosity and sacrifice make our programs possible.
To state and chapter officers, your support and dedication are invaluable. Thank you for spreading our message of love, hope and determination throughout Nebraska.
To my friend and colleague, Anil Lewis, thank you so much for your strong leadership, warmth and love, inspiration, sense of humor, fun and words of wisdom.
To the Divots staff, we appreciate your excellent service.
To Shane, Noah and Sarah, You are truly blessings in my life. Thank you for being a constant source of humility, strength, comfort, laughter, and light. XOXO always and forever!
To each member, thank you for your never-ending enthusiasm, love, sacrifice, and tireless commitment to our organization. Together, we are forever shattering barriers and misconceptions about us: living the lives we want and turning dreams in to reality! I am filled with hope, energy, and love by participating in the National Federation of the Blind because my expectations are raised, my contributions make a difference to me and to others, and I can celebrate the realization of my dreams with my Federation family.
Now, LET’S GO BUILD THE FEDERATION!—Amy Buresh
Live the Life you Want
By J.P. Williams, James Brown, Richie Flores, and J.J. Meddaugh
Live the life you want
Nobody can stop you
Shoot for the sun,
Break on through,
So your blind, you'll be fine, we've got good news,
You can live the life you want
We know the truth.
Grab a cane, get trained, gotta get moving.
Make a change, earn a wage, that's what we're doing.
Come with me,
To live the life you want,
You and me, NFB
Let’s dream together,
NFB, you and me
Lives on forever,
You will see.
You can live the life you want, nothing can stop you.
Shoot for the sun, break on through,
So your blind, you'll be fine, we've got good news,
You can live the life you want,
Cause we know the truth.
You can live the life you want,
Cause we know the truth.