NABS Notes | October 2020

“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.” -Andy Rooney

Welcome to the October edition of our NABS Notes! Although our schedules are fuller than a pumpkin spice latte, overflowing with midterms, holiday plans, and taking in the changing seasons, we hope you’ll still take the time to read up on all things new with NABS. Read on to learn more about our upcoming events and updates from committees. In this edition you will find:

Announcing the 2020-2021 NABS At Large Seminar
October Blog Post
October Episode of the NABS Now Podcast
Committee Updates
Stay Connected—NABS Social Media

Announcing the 2021 National Association of Blind Students At Large Seminar!

In the virtual world we find ourselves living in, NABS has been missing the opportunity to gather at regional seminars across the country to share our experiences in the classroom and beyond. Yet, in speaking with many of our members, the need for our community is stronger than ever! For this reason, we are so excited to launch our first ever NABS At Large Seminar entitled Speaking Up and Branching Out, focused on how to own your voice as a student. Please be sure to get registered and share the below information far and wide. We cannot wait to work alongside you, teaching and learning alike, on January 9-10, 2021! See below for details.

Terrified of public speaking? Have experience but are excited to refine your skills? The National Association of Blind Students is committed to empowering all blind students to know the power of their voices, especially in this new era of education. Join us for a virtual weekend designed to equip attendees with techniques and the self-confidence to advocate effectively in academic, professional, and everyday life. Email Kinshuk Tella at kinshuk.tella@gmail.com with questions.

October Blog Post | Awaited Answers: An Introduction to Adaptive Sports and Accessible Athletics

Ever felt isolated or excluded when affronted with the outlet of exercising? If you answered “Yes,” you are not alone. Take some time to read this month’s blog post, which highlights one individual’s story of finding adaptive sports to be a welcoming and competitive environment as well as a brief introduction to Achilles International, an organization geared toward finding a place for people with all disabilities in the realm of athletics. Always remember that the only limits we face are those we impose upon ourselves!

October Episode of the NABS Now Podcast | Uncovering the Undergrad Application - Applying to College as a Blind Student

Applying to college marks a time filled with choices, uncertainty, and excitement. You are starting a brand-new chapter of your life, after all! We’ve all felt lost about just how to navigate this new chapter, so here we are! Hear from blind students on everything from choosing a school, to disclosing your blindness, to finding inspiration for that dreaded essay. Later, hear from NABS Secretary Mausam Mehta on all you should know when filing financial aid and how to pay as little for college as possible. This episode is like that secret handbook for undergrad applications that we all wish we had at one time or another.

Thank you to special guests Lauren Flener, Logan Stenzel, Cricket Bidleman, and Mausam Mehta. Created and Produced by: Seyoon Choi and Nina Marranca

Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or see our Anchor page for more ways to listen!

Committee Updates

Catching Up on a Pressing Matter!

In case you haven’t heard, the NABS Outreach Committee is happy to share the all new platform for The Student Slate, the official blog of the National Association of Blind Students! Featuring old and new blog posts alike, this account will be used for all upcoming blog posts, so don’t forget to subscribe. We also hope you’ll join us for our next committee meeting, taking place on Sunday November 8 at 8:00 PM EST. For questions on how to get involved, email Nina Marranca at ninam0814@gmail.com.

Fall Fundraising: Connecting our Committee and Communities!

The NABS Fundraising Committee is hard at work, continuing to secure donations for the upcoming “NABS At Large Seminar”. Our committee members are actively approaching small and local businesses, donors, and organizations with our updated funding packet, which explains our purpose, mission, and direction, requesting both monetary and auction item donations to support the event. We challenge you to get involved and learn more at our next committee meeting, taking place on Sunday, November 8 at 9:00 PM EST. For questions on how to get involved, email Robert Parsons at Robert.E.Parsons@wmich.edu.

Spreading Awareness on Subminimum Wage

The NABS Legislative and Self-Advocacy Committee is in the midst of planning a competition in which students can share their stories about accessibility barriers in higher education, so if you’ve got a story of your own, stay tuned for further details! Additionally, the committee has recently been discussing the US Commission on Civil Rights report on subminimum wages, and one of our members published this article in The Legal Intelligencer, examining the reality that workers with disabilities still face federally-authorized wage discrimination. To learn more, join our next committee call on Sunday, November 15 at 8:00 PM EST. For questions on how to get involved, email Justin Salisbury at president@alumni.ecu.edu.

Acknowledging Diversity One Member at a Time!

With several incredibly insightful committee calls behind us, the NABS Diversity and Inclusion Committee continues to strive toward our goal of making NABS a welcoming environment for all blind students. With this goal in mind, we invite you to participate in our newest initiative, which aims to feature unique elements of our members’ stories on The Student Slate, by filling out our survey. Feel free to disclose as little or as much as your comfort level allows, and thank you for helping guide the future work of the committee. Please remember that all are welcome to join us for our next committee meeting, which will take place on Sunday, November 15 at 9:00 PM EST. For questions on how to get involved, email Shane Wegner at shanew@outlook.com or join the committee GroupMe, where members coordinate our activities.

And don’t forget our monthly membership call, taking place on Sunday, November 22 at 9:00 PM EST!