By Lori Peglow

Message from the CMC President

When someone says, “I can’t do that, I’m blind,” all sorts of thoughts come to mind.  Is this person just rolling up in a ball waiting to die?  In days gone by, blind people were more limited than they are today.  That’s not true anymore.  Sighted people have said they have to do everything for blind people.  That’s not true either.

The National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota is an organization focused on consumer advocacy for blind people and promoting a positive philosophy of blindness.  We are also a family.  Here is a column that we print from time to time, containing items that would not normally be sent out on our membership listserv but which are noteworthy and of interest to members.  Did you or a Federationist you know get a new job?  Go on a major trip?  Win an award?  Have a child?  Something else important to you?

By Jennifer Dunnam

Volume 80, Number 3

Quarterly Publication of the

National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, Inc.

100 East 22nd Street

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404

Voice:  (612) 872-9363

Website:  www.nfbmn.org

Tom Scanlan, Editor

E-mail tom.scanlan@earthlink.net

WE ARE CHANGING

Many people are involved in getting this issue to you.  The writers can write and the editor can edit, but until the material is printed, brailled, recorded, and distributed, it is just a computer file.  Therefore, we owe great thanks to the following people for the work they do in producing this publication.

The purpose of the National Federation of the Blind is two-fold — to help blind persons achieve self-confidence and self-respect and to act as a vehicle for collective self-expression by the blind.  By providing public education about blindness, information and referral services, scholarships, literature and publications about blindness, aids and appliances and other adaptive equipment for the blind, advocacy services and protection of civil rights, development and evaluation of technology, and support for blind persons and their families, members of the NFB strive to educate the publi

Central Minnesota Chapter — St. Cloud area; meets at 12:30 on the second Saturday of every month at the American Legion in Waite Park

Metro Chapter — Twin Cities area; meets at 10:00 a.m. on the third Saturday of every month at NFB of MN Headquarters, 100 East 22nd Street in Minneapolis

Riverbend Chapter — New Ulm area; meets at 9:00 a.m. on the third Saturday of every month in New Ulm; contact Monica Buboltz at 507-354-5680 for meeting location

Exciting times are coming in NFB conventions.  Keep these in mind as you plan your activities throughout the coming year.

The Semiannual NFB of Minnesota Convention will be in May 2015 at the NFB of Minnesota building in Minneapolis.  Members will receive a letter with details, and the letter will be on our website at www.nfbmn.org.

St. Paul Midway Lions announce openings for Free Beep Baseball — our 12th year — coming up in spring of 2015.  Our team will continue to play inter-squad games at Cretin Derham Hall High School in St.

By Megan Homrighausen

(Editor’s Note:  This article appeared in News and Views, the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona.  I reprint here because it is a good summary of the experience of so many of us, and perhaps an encouragement to others.)