National Federation of the Blind - San Antonio Chapter (NFBSA)

09/07/2026

Please distribute this announcement to all blind or low vision voters

https://nfbtx.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=20

Accessible Voting – Know Your Rights!
Hosted by the National Federation of the Blind of Texas San Antonio Chapter

• Are you curious about accessing accurate voting information in accessible formats?
• Do you have questions about navigating the voting process as a blind person?

You are invited to join us for an informative and empowering voter education event hosted by the National Federation of the Blind of Texas San Antonio Chapter. This event is designed to provide essential information and resources for blind and low vision people to ensure everyone can exercise their right to vote with confidence and independence.

What: Accessible Voting – Know Your Rights!
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Time: 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Location: Las Palmas Branch Library, H-E-B Community Room
515 Castroville Rd., San Antonio, TX 78237

Key Highlights:
• Learn about your rights as a voter
• Explore accessible voting options and tools, including an accessible voting machine
• Get registered to vote with the League of Women Voters
• NFB-NEWSLINE® demonstrations and an opportunity to register

Featured Guests:
This event will feature representatives from the San Antonio League of Women Voters, who will guide you through the voting process, assist with voter registration, and answer any questions you may have. We aim to make voting accessible and straightforward for everyone in our community.

NFB-NEWSLINE®:
Learn how to access over 900 publications, including national and local newspapers, magazines, emergency weather alerts, and job listings using NFB-NEWSLINE®, a free electronic newspaper and information service for anyone who is legally blind, Deafblind, or print disabled.

RSVP (not required but helpful for staffing purposes):
Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 9 by contacting us at [email protected] or via telephone at 281-968-7634.

We look forward to your participation in this important event. Your voice matters, and together, we can ensure that every vote counts.

--
National Federation of the Blind of Texas
"Live the life you want."

You are invited to join us for an informative and empowering voter education event hosted by the National Federation of the Blind of Texas San Antonio Chapter. This event is designed to provide essential information and resources for blind and low vision people to ensure everyone can exercise their....

08/13/2026

We invite you to join us this Saturday for our August San Antonio Chapter meeting of the NFB. We will be discussing design and purchase of new chapter shirts, the Converse paratransit issue, along with other updates. Our guest speaker this week is Jennifer Weatherford from Texas Para sport. She will be discussing programs offered by her organization to individuals in the San Antonio area.

Meeting location and time:
Saturday, August 15
11 am to 1 pm
BiblioTech EDU
626 N. Flores St.
San Antonio, TX

Best regards,
Wendy Walker, President
NFBTX San Antonio Chapter
Chapter phone: (210) 624-8210

08/02/2026

This is for those who live in the San Antonio area, specifically in the city of Converse. Converse is attempting to remove VIA Metropolitan transit which would also remove paratransit services. If you know anybody with disabilities living in Converse, urge them to attend the city council meeting this Tuesday evening and sign up for the Citizens to be Heard before 7 pm to voice their concerns. The meeting location and time are listed below:
Tuesday, August 4 at 7 pm
City of Converse City Council Chambers
402 S. Seguin Rd.
Converse, TX 78109

It is listed as item J on the meeting agenda. Please help get the word out.

Best regards,
Wendy Walker, President
NFBTX San Antonio Chapter

07/20/2026

Good morning, everyone,

During our recent national convention in Austin our national organization passed a resolution calling on the states currently involved in Texas v Kennedy to pull out of this harmful litigation. As you know, our attorney general, Ken Paxton, is leading the effort to move this suit forward, and that is why it is known as Texas v Kennedy. During the convention, presidents from the six states still involved in the lawsuit delivered a loud and clear message to AG Paxton by presenting a copy of the resolution to his office.

Today, we are continuing our effort to convince General Paxton that this lawsuit should be abandoned by collaborating with Judy's League, a cross-disability social media organization, to send the message that blind Texan's are opposed to the suit. Judy's League is asking that we participate in Jam the Phones, Flood the Form today. To participate, here is what our members should do.

First, either call or complete the AG's contact form to let the office know that you oppose their effort to diminish the rights of disabled Americans by continuing to move forward with Texas v Kennedy. Months ago, Mr. Paxton said in a press release that he did not intend to cause harm to our community, but this suit has the potential to erase our rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. If you prefer to call the office to send the message that we would like the AG to drop this suit, you may do so by dialing 512-463-2100.

Your message does not need to be complex. Tell them you are a member or a supporter of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas and that you are calling to request that Texas drop its participation in the Texas v Kennedy suit pertaining to Section 504. Feel free to also say that our president, Norma Crosby, would be pleased to have a meeting with General Paxton to discuss this matter in an effort to create a better understanding of our position. If asked for my contact information, share my email address and direct number. My direct number is 281-824-4045.

The number for the Office of the Attorney General is 512-463-2100. As always, be polite, professional, persuasive, and persistent. We should never be rude, but definitely offer my contact information if possible. A meeting with the AG would be very helpful, and if a number of people suggest that, it could help.

If you prefer to put your thoughts in writing, use their contact form. Again, use language that is similar to the following:

I am writing to express my opposition to the Texas v Kennedy lawsuit that would affect the rights of blind and disabled Texans under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. I would appreciate it if General Paxton would reconsider his position on this matter, and I urge that he meet with Norma Crosby, who serves as president of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas in order to discuss our concerns about the suit.If Mr. Paxton is interested in reaching out in an effort to create a dialogue with our community, he may contact Mrs. Crosby at [email protected] or 281-824-4045.

Thank you for considering my comments.

It is that simple. Offer opposition. Suggest a meeting between his office and our president, and end with a thank you. The language above is just an example. Feel free to use your own words and your own voice. To use the contact form, go to: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/contact-us-online-form

Finally, since we are collaborating with Judy's League and our National Association of Blind Students, I would urge you to do two additional things after calling or writing. First, use the link below to tell the coordinator how your calls went or that you submitted a contact form. Second, follow up with me to do the same. Just send me a quick note to say that you made contact, which method you used, and give me a brief report of any interaction you had with AG personnel. Obviously, if you use the form, you may not get a response today. So, just let me know you did that. You may get some feedback if you call, so if that happens, let me know.

Here is the link to report to Judy's League. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeqnGbT7fMw_TDoV4VsqAkPaF_dq9BgkBLyEsD8jtjYPcSbZw/viewform

I will be following up with their leadership to see what kind of response we are seeing. We are asking people to call or write today as a part of their effort, but if members call throughout the week, I think that would be great since the anniversary of passage of the ADA falls on Sunday.

This lawsuit could have great impact on the lives of blind people if it continues to move forward. Missouri has dropped out since the convention ended, so there are only five states left. Let's do our part to decrease that number, and if we succeed, that would probably spell the end of the suit since Texas is the lead plaintiff.

Best regards,

Norma Crosby, President
National Federation of the Blind of Texas

On Monday, July 20th, we will be coming together from all across the country to let Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton know that we are opposed to his lawsuit attacking Section 504, the law that almost 80 million disabled Americans rely on. This lawsuit would jeopardize our right to live, learn, work...

07/15/2026

Please join us this Saturday for our July chapter meeting at an alternate location. We will be presenting Henry Franks with our first ever chapter scholarship and talking with members about their NFB national convention stories. A description of the meeting location and directions are listed below. Stay safe everybody.

Saturday, July 18
11 AM to 1 PM
Episcopal Church of Reconciliation
8900 Starcrest Drive
San Antonio, TX 78217

We are meeting in the library. Ask to be dropped off in the parking lot at the entrance closest to the street, by the mailbox and the bench. There is also a big food donation box near that entrance. If you get dropped off here, the library is fairly close. Ruben will be there early to help guide people.

Ruben also wrote these instructions to find the library:
1. From the drop-off point, walk about 10 feet away from the parking lot
2. Turn left 90 degrees for about 5 feet to avoid walking off the sidewalk and into the central courtyard
3. Turn back to the right 90 degrees for about 10 to 15 more feet. The library entrance is the first door on the left. There is a floor mat in front of the door.

We look forward to hearing everybody's interesting updates from the convention in Austin!

Best regards,
Wendy Walker, President
NFBTX San Antonio Chapter

06/18/2026

We are pleased to announce our guest speaker for this month's chapter meeting is Amanda Ventura, Waymo's public affairs lead for the Western US. She will talk about autonomous vehicles, what drives Waymo, its accessibility features and how to ride in San Antonio. Other items on our agenda will include:
Convention updates
Announcing the winner of the chapter scholarship
and many other items of interest

Meeting information:
Saturday, June 20
11 AM to 1 PM
BiblioTech EDU
626 N. Flores
San Antonio

See you all Saturday!

Best regards,
Wendy Walker, President
NFBTX San Antonio Chapter

05/20/2026

Celebrate Outstanding Blind Students
Baltimore, Maryland (May 15, 2026): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the transformative organization advancing the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States, today announced the finalists for its annual scholarship program, which provides financial assistance and connects students with blind mentors and other resources. The thirty scholarship finalists are listed below in alphabetical order by last name with their home states and vocational goals. Congratulations to these outstanding finalists:

Doug Allan, Colorado, Teacher of Blind and Low-Vision Students
Heriberto Arreola, California, Business/Educational Development
Aliceson McKenzie Barger, Kentucky, Counseling
Kailer Brown, California, Athletic Inclusion and Accessibility
Natalie Charbonneau, Washington, Marine Mammal Science
Sveta Ehlers, Missouri, Special Education
Nancy Gedeon, Indiana, Immigration/Disability Rights Attorney
Lucas Griess, Nebraska, Finance/Business or Law
Jenn Han, Washington, Registered Nurse
Marissa Helms, Kentucky, Law
Andrea Hernandez, Texas, Disability Rights Attorney
Bryson Jones, Arkansas, O&M Instructor
LaQuon Johnson, New York, Higher Education Disability Services Coordinator
Amelia Laing, Washington, Chemist
Zachary Ledford, Utah, Exercise Science/Kinesiology
Bennett Lehman, Wisconsin, Cybersecurity
Christopher Morgan, Georgia, Finance or Statistics
Stormy Odum, Virginia, English and History Teacher
Nick Oliver, Texas, Software Engineer
Joshua Olukanni, Georgia, Financial Advisor
Soso Ozo-Onyali, Maryland, Clinical and Forensic Psychologist
Raysa Rondón Avilés, Puerto Rico, Accessible Technology
Elizabeth Rouse, Iowa, Author/Editor
Charlie Rush-Reese, Minnesota, Musical Performer and Writer
Sherry Scott Bianco, Kansas, Data Scientist
Julian Silecky, Pennsylvania, Engineering
Muhammad Sohaib, Texas, Special Education Research and Policy
Chantsaa Undrakhbayar, Minnesota, Therapist
Willow Windoloski, Massachusetts, Robotics Research
Karolina Wrobel, Florida, Disability Rights Attorney

"Our scholarship program continues to exemplify how the blind people’s movement builds and strengthens a community of leaders," said Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. "The finalists represent a diversity of academic and professional pursuits, from groundbreaking work in STEAM careers to innovative approaches in media, education, and law. We are proud to honor these blind scholars, whose stories raise expectations and contribute to expanding possibilities. The accomplishments of these outstanding students are proof that the blind can achieve excellence and live the lives we want. We will celebrate these outstanding scholars together at our national convention, where their accomplishments will encourage the next generation of blind leaders to dream bigger and reach higher."

05/18/2026

Do you know a San Antonio area blind or low vision college student who will be enrolled in the Fall 2026 semester? If so, please forward the following scholarship opportunity their way. Most questions concerning qualifications and materials needed for the application can be found on the application itself.

NFBTX San Antonio Scholarship for Fall 2026
(Open to blind and low vision students in the San Antonio area only)
Application deadline is May 31, 2026
Below is the link to the application
https://forms.gle/fgWeLXu61GS2mKxTA

Email submission materials and questions to
[email protected]

Have a good rest of your day everybody!

Best regards,
Wendy Walker, President
NFBTX San Antonio Chapter
Chapter phone: (210) 624-8210

The NFBTX San Antonio Chapter is offering its first scholarship this year to one legally blind college student. This scholarship is open to full-time and part-time students who are registered for at least 6 credit hours for the Fall 2026 semester. The purpose of this scholarship is to assist with ex...

05/07/2026

You are invited to our May San Antonio Chapter meeting of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas. Come early to socialize.

Our agenda will include the following:
Accessibility tip
Convention updates
Botanical Garden chapter outing reflections
Low Vision Expo member reflections
update on Zoo outing
Update on meeting with Waymo
discuss stipends for national convention
discuss promotion of chapter scholarship
and much more!

Saturday, May 9
11AM to 1PM
BiblioTech EDU
626 N Flores St.
San Antonio, TX

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Best regards,
Wendy Walker, President
NFBTX San Antonio Chapter
Chapter Phone: (210) 624-8210
Email: [email protected]

05/01/2026

Join us tomorrow and visit the NFB San Antonio Chapter's table at Low Vision Expo 2026! We would be happy to sign you up for NFB-Newsline and answer any questions you might have about the resources we provide.

LOW VISION EXPO 2026
Saturday, May 2, 9 am - 1 pm
Marriott San Antonio Airport
77 NE Interstate Loop 410, 78216

Best regards,
Wendy Walker, President
NFBTX San Antonio Chapter