I am a proud member of the National Federation of the Blind.  I am the Outreach Chair for the Winchester Chapter of the NFB of Virginia.  I have had many opportunities to go to local events in the community to educate people and help to make them aware of blindness. Meet the Blind Month provides a great opportunity to do outreach to the Winchester community.

Our chapter has participated in various activities around our city. On October 15, 2016 we worked an informational booth where we distributed NFB brochures and discussed the resources that are available in our community.  

We build relationships and get involved with the community by attending and participating in local programs and festivals, such as, the Community Wellness Festival.  The Winchester Chapter has also been invited to speak at several of our local Lions Clubs.  For White Cane Safety Day, our chapter went to the Mayor’s office to witness the signing of the Winchester White Cane Safety Day Proclamation.  

The Voter Registrar’s Office has asked us to provide feedback to their polling place workers on the voting experience with the ADA accessible voting machines.  The Voter Registrar’s office has also come to our chapter meeting to provide hands-on training for the ADA accessible voting machines. The relationship we are building with this office is one example of building ties with the community.  

There are so many other activities that we are involved with and we are always coming up with new ideas on how to reach out to our community.  For me this has been a great experience. I think that Meet the Blind Month is extremely important because it gives us the opportunity to educate others on what it is to be blind. Since I joined the National Federation of the Blind, I’ve learned that we can live the life we want and that blindness does not hold us back.