National Federation of the Blind of Iowa 2010 State Convention

Greetings To My Federation Family:

Pre-register and save up to $5 on convention registration and each convention meal! Complete the attached pre-registration form and mail it by September 12, with your check payable to the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa, to Michael D. Barber, 2721 34th Street, Des Moines, IA 50310. Call (515) 284-1569 with questions.

Convention Highlights

• Start your convention experience right with our informative and educational nonvisually-accessible cell phones seminar from 1:00 to 5:00 PM on Friday, September 17 at the hotel. Do you have a cell phone? Can you use all its features? Does it work with a cell phone screen reader? What is a cell phone screen reader? What does an accessible cell phone cost? Is any cell phone accessible “out of the box?” Join us for answers to these questions and more! … Stay for the pizza supper that follows! Your pre-registration form and $20 fee must be received no later than September 12 to attend the seminar. Seats are limited, and will fill quickly! Register today!
• Curtis Chong chairs the resolutions committee. Mail resolutions in final written form by September 3 to Curtis Chong, 3663 Grand Avenue,Unit 606, Des Moines, IA 50312, or submit them electronically to curtischong@earthlink.net. You may also bring resolutions in final written form to the committee meeting Friday evening at 7:00 PM.
• Accessibility.net and Vision Helpers, GW Micro, The Michael Hingson Group, and others will exhibit accessible products Friday evening, before the Saturday morning session, during the noon hour Saturday, and 5:00 to 6:30 PM Saturday.
• Friday evening hospitality, 8:00 PM to 12:00 Midnight, will feature tasty treats, karaoke DJed by our own Al Bickell, and a cash bar. Come share your talent and be entertained!
• Attend the President’s all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast Saturday morning at 7:15 for $15, then stay for the NFBI Board meeting at 8:00 AM. All are invited to attend.
• We are delighted to welcome a very special speaker to our luncheon Saturday at noon. Mr. Michael Hingson, a long-time Federationist, is the blind man who successfully led his colleagues from the 78th floor to safety as the World Trade Center Twin Towers collapsed on September 11, 2001. His story is personal and riveting! Don’t miss it! Mr. Hingson demonstrated the very first Kurzweil Reading Machine in the 1970s, when it weighed 400 pounds and came in three large pieces. He now sells the KNFB Reader, a cell phone with software that snaps pictures of printed pages and speaks them. Pay only $20 to join us for this fabulous luncheon!
• Parnell Diggs, National Federation of the Blind Board member, 2011 Imagination Fund Committee Chair, and President of the South Carolina affiliate, is this year’s National Representative to our convention. Don’t miss his enthusiastic national report during the Saturday morning session. Other notable speakers at this year’s convention include Patrick Clancy, Superintendent of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School Statewide Vision Services; Patty Lind, Director of the Iowa Able Foundation; and Aaron Cannon, one of our own from Iowa City with an inspiring story to tell. Don’t miss a minute of our great convention sessions!
• Our national representative, Parnell Diggs, will inspire us with his address at our Saturday evening banquet. Iowa Senator Matt McCoy, who helped assure Newsline funding through 2011, and Congressman Leonard Boswell, who has cosponsored several NFBI-supported bills, will also attend. One lucky member will win the 50/50 drawing at the banquet. Tickets cost $1 each, 6 for $5, and you must be present at the banquet to win. Secure your seat at the festivities for just $30 and add your voice to our celebration!
• On Sunday morning, we will remember those who are ill or have passed on. Cindy Ray will lead our memorial service. If you know of someone who is ill or has left us this year, please contact Cindy at (515) 334-7231 or cindyray@qwest.net.
• Learn what fellow Federationists are accomplishing as we hear chapter and division reports on Sunday morning.
• Five officers and four board members will be elected during our Sunday morning session this year. A nominating committee, April Enderton, Chair, Curtis Chong and Ted Hart, will review all nominations before convention. To be considered for nomination, contact April Enderton at (515) 282-0049 or endertona@wildblue.net.

April Enderton, President of our Des Moines chapter, is 2010 door prize chairperson. April is known for finding great prizes, and she can use your help! Send door prizes to April Enderton, 7758 SE 36th Street, Des Moines, IA 50315, or bring them to April at convention /

This year's convention will be a huge success! Please join us and do your part to make it so!

Cordially,

Michael D. Barber, President

National Federation of the Blind of Iowa

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