By Jennifer Dunnam, President

A whirlwind of activity has taken place since the Semiannual Convention! What follows includes some of the remarks I made at the convention and many updates to those remarks.

The session of the Minnesota Legislature included various items of interest to blind Minnesotans. One bill, introduced very late in the session, would in effect strip away all of the special education provisions in state statute that go beyond the requirements in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In Minnesota, such items include our braille bill. The bill was not heard this session, but will likely be heard next session, and we will be ready to fight to ensure that blind children do not lose out on the education that they need.

As everyone knows, the regular legislative session came to a close without a state government budget. Two bills pertinent to State Services for the Blind (SSB) funding did emerge from the session. One bill, related to the budget for the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) passed out of conference committee without cuts to State Services for the Blind and with a base increase so that all federal dollars could be obtained. A second bill would make significant cuts across the government workforce, impacting State Services for the Blind. Governor Dayton vetoed these bills, along with most budget bills.

As of this writing, the state government has been shut down for almost two weeks. We were successful in ensuring that adjustment-to-blindness was deemed among the “critical core services” that should continue to be funded during the shutdown. However, far too many people are being affected by the lack of other services. Textbooks for children may now not be ready in time for the start of the school year. We have members and friends who are without jobs now because of the shutdown. We hope this matter will be resolved swiftly and in a manner that is beneficial for the long-term.

Public transportation is another area of concern, with fare increases and service cuts looming. Federationists have participated in events to express support for public transportation and will continue to do so.

Our members have made many phone calls and other communications to legislators on our issues throughout this year. Our organized communications and attendance at hearings and other such events are extremely important in educating our public officials about our issues. Thank you to all who have responded to the requests for action. Please keep it up!

On June 8, a group of Federationists met with DEED Commissioner Mark Phillips, to tell him about the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota and about Blindness: Learning In New Dimensions (BLIND), Inc., and to dialog with him regarding state services to blind Minnesotans. We expressed our concern that those services not be the first on the chopping block during this time of budget cuts. We stressed the need for SSB to remain a distinct unit within state government, and we urged that the agency be elevated within government. The commissioner indicated his commitment to accountability and efficiency in government and for SSB in particular, and we left the meeting optimistic that SSB would indeed be raised within DEED to a level equivalent with other major divisions in the organization.

We attended a parents institute at the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, presenting about the resources we offer for youth. Those in attendance were interested to hear about our Braille Readers are Leaders Contest, Braille Pals Club, Future Reflections, and the many other ways that the NFB can work with and help blind children and their parents. The attendees picked up most of the literature that we brought to the event.

In late June, a group of Federationists participated in a town hall meeting with Minnesota’s newest Congressman, Chip Cravaack. We did not have a chance to meet with him personally at the Washington Seminar earlier this year, so we took this first opportunity to familiarize him with our organization and to hear his views on issues of concern to us. He was attentive to us, and we will continue to work to build relationships with him and with all of our congressmen and legislators.

The need for advocacy for individuals is ever-present. Issues for college students getting their course material in accessible format are ongoing. We were successful in assisting several individuals to navigate some hurdles in obtaining some needed services from SSB, such as technology for their schooling, and even just getting some forward motion toward the goals in an Individual Plan for Employment.

More than 90 Minnesotans have just returned from another inspiring NFB national convention — a time to get reacquainted with our Federation family from all around the country and to enhance our perspective on the broader issues we face and how our work here in Minnesota fits with those. In addition to the meetings on any imaginable topics related to blindness, the convention tackled several important issues, including the need to remove provisions in federal law that allow workers with disabilities to be paid less than the minimum wage paid to their sighted coworkers, the need to maintain basic access to our home appliances, and more. Watch for details about the convention in upcoming issues of the Braille Monitor.

The Move-a-thon has a new name! This year is our 30th such event, and it is now called the Walk for Opportunity. This year the route will take us between downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota. Please plan to participate on September 17. Of course, we also need everyone’s help with raising contributions beforehand for this Walk for Opportunity, which is our largest fundraiser. Watch for details in your postal mail, your email, and on www.nfbmn.org.

As always, we have much to accomplish and much to be proud of. Our collective experience and our collective action give me renewed enthusiasm for the important work we do.