I think spring is finally here. I love the warmer weather, the green buds popping out on trees and bushes, the cheery melodies of the robins and meadowlarks and the smell of lilacs and freshly mowed grass.

Our convention will be here soon. As a member of NDAB, it is your privilege and responsibility to attend and conduct the business of our organization which keeps NDAB running. None of our activities would be possible if we didn’t take care of the business needed to maintain status quo. Many of us in leadership roles are getting older, and I am concerned as to where our next leaders will come. I challenge all of you to seriously think about how you can contribute to NDAB to ensure that it will continue for the next 90 years and beyond.

I will leave you with these words about winners and losers. Let’s all strive to be winners.

The winner is ready to meet new challenges.

The loser is challenged and runs away.

The winner says “It can be done-with patience.”

The loser says “It can’t be done quickly enough.”

The winner says “I’ll help.”

The loser says “It’s not my job.”

The winner looks to what might be.

The loser dwells on what might have been.

The winner sees a difficulty and turns it into an opportunity.

The loser sees an opportunity but feels it is too difficult to pursue.

For the one who takes each problem and turns it around to become a victory – no matter how small – no matter how big – that person will BE A WINNER!

Loris Van Berkom
NDAB President

2026 Calendar

May 10 – 15 NDVS/SB Adult Training Week*

May 31 – June 5 NDVS/SB Adult Training Week*

June 5 – 7 NDAB Convention at Spirit Lake Casino & Resort, St. Michael

July 24 – 31 – ACB Convention in St. Louis, MO

August 16 – 23 – Summer Camp, Camp Grassick

Coffee Chat is held every Wednesday at 10 a.m. on Zoom.

*Contact Ken at NDVS/SB for more info on Adult Training Weeks at NDVS/SB (kdockter@nd.gov, (701) 795-2724)

NDAB Monthly Book Club

Submitted by Mary Lou Stip

Join us at NDAB Book Club on the first Wednesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. The list of books through our meeting in July is below. Happy reading!

May 6

Crashing Through: A Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See by Robert Kurson. DB 63747. Reading time: 10 hours, 12 minutes. Led by Doug Stip.

June 3

Counting Miracles: A Novel by Nicholas Sparks. DB 124452. Reading time: 10 hours, 49 minutes. Led by Mary Lou Stip.

July 1

James by Percival Everett. DB 120063. Reading time: 7 hours, 52 minutes. Led by Michele Willman.

August 5

Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith. DB 57246. Reading time: 7 hours, 6 minutes. Led by Candy Lien.

September 2

The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller. DB 35861. Led by Paula Anundson.

October 7

Cloudy in the West by Elmer Kelton. DB 46448. Led by Carol Marshall.

November 4

Title TBD. Led by Emily Brown.

December 2

A Land to Call Home: Book 3 of the Red River of the North Series by Lauraine Snelling. DB 68095. Led by Christina Powell.

Welcome to Our New Members!

Khloe Sobolik of Rugby, ND

Marnell Sobolik of Rugby, ND (junior member)

Andrew McCloud of St. Paul, MN (returning member)

In Sympathy

We mourn the passing of NDAB member Donna Hepper of Bismarck, ND.

2026 Call to Convention

Submitted by 2026 Convention Committee

The 2026 Convention Committee invites you to our Annual Convention of the North Dakota Association of the Blind. The Convention will be held Friday, June 5th through Sunday, June 7th at the Spirit Lake Casino & Resort, 7889 ND-57, St. Michael, ND 58370. Spirit Lake Casino & Resort is located about 8 miles south of Devils Lake along ND-20.

A block of rooms has been reserved for the price of $99.00 per night plus taxes and fees. Reserve your room by April 20 by calling the hotel directly at (701) 766-4888. Make sure you mention “ND Association of the Blind” when making reservations to ensure you are booking under our block of rooms.

Happy Birthday, NDAB!

On Friday night, after settling into your room, plan to join us for dinner and fun and games!

On Saturday, the business meeting and banquet will be held in the same room at the Resort. Both lunch and the banquet dinner will be catered by the Resort. On Saturday we will have the chance to hear about the history of the Spirit Lake Tribe from a local guest speaker. During lunch on Saturday, a guest from Protection & Advocacy will provide us with an update on various issues. On Saturday evening, we will celebrate NDAB’s 90^th birthday during our banquet, complete with a birthday cake!

On Sunday morning, we will remember those we lost in the past year during the memorial service. As our business meeting concludes, elections will take place. Convention will end by noon on Sunday.

Registration is open until May 25. Note that your hotel room must be booked by April 20. Like last year, there is no paper registration. Please register online by going to the NDAB website (ndab.org) and registering via the Google Form or going directly to the form at the following address: https://forms.gle/zrp81epcUCotXPkK9. If you would like help registering online, please call Trampes or Emily, and they will be happy to help you.

You will be able to pay online via PayPal after submitting your registration. You can also bring a check to Convention or send a check to: NDAB, PO Box 824, West Fargo, ND 58078.

Please consider bringing a door prize with you to share. This could be something homemade, store-bought, thrifted, or found! We will be drawing door prizes throughout the weekend. If you bring something, please drop it off at the registration table when you arrive on Friday.

We look forward to seeing you in June at the 2026 Convention! If you have any questions, please reach out to the Convention Planning Committee:

Trampes Brown – (701) 389-7982

Emily Brown – (701) 215-1796

Nominations Committee Announcement

Submitted by Janelle Olson, Chair of the Nominations Committee

Below are the candidates for the 2026 elections which reads as follows:

Board Director for a 3-year term: Dondi Sobolik
Editor for a 1-year term: Emily Stenberg Brown
President for a 2-year term: Loris Van Berkom
Treasurer for a 2-year term: To be determined
Vice President for a 2-year term: Lexee Steffen

The 2026 ACB Conference and Convention will be held in Jacksonville, Florida, from July 23rd through the 30th. Dondi Sobolik is on the slate to be our delegate. Gerald Byron is on the ballot for alternate delegate.

Nominations from the floor at our state convention are welcomed, but please remember only with the members’ prior consent. It is expected that the nominees are knowledgeable of the duties of the position which they seek to obtain. Contact one of us with any questions you may have, or to receive copies of appropriate manuals or guidelines.

Nominees must meet all of the following qualifications:

1. Have attained the age of 18 and paid annual dues.

2. All elected officers and directors must be a resident of ND during their term of office or a city sharing a common border with its sister city in ND.

3. To avoid conflict of interest, officers shall not hold office while serving as an officer in another consumer organization of the blind.

4. No more than one member from a household shall serve concurrent terms.

Thank you to the aforementioned who have agreed to serve NDAB in a leadership role.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Nominations Committee, Missy Miller, Rick Feldman and Janelle Olson

Bismarck & Other News from Robert Westermeyer

The Bismarck Supper Club met at China Star in February and Bismarck Grill and Lounge in March. Future meetings are still up in the air.

Sporting Chance’s Fishing Event is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, from 8 -12 at Grainer Bottoms near Mandan. A fish fry will follow. For more information contact JR at 226-6578.

If you’re like me, your medication list is not shrinking. Spoken Rx is an audible service that helps read prescriptions for you. A sticker is attached to the bottom of your container which is then set on a platform. Press the middle button with the raised dot, and it’ll read it out loud for you. For more information on this service that would greatly enhance your safety, call Bismarck CVS Pharmacy at (701) 255-1335 or your local pharmacy.

I’ve been taking lunch once a week at the Age Well Center. For information on services in your area contact your local senior citizens or aging services center in your community.

Just like you can have holiday time blues, people can have camp time blues. This can be brought on by a number of factors including concerns over transportation, worries about laundry and other services being taken care of, a traumatic event that happened at a past camp, a good friend of yours having died recently, and other factors. The best way to deal with it is to think about the fun you’re going to have at camp, and take care of whatever you can in advance, such as setting up transportation, among other things.

Williston Wanderings

Submitted by Janelle F. Olson

The calendar says spring is here and here is what we have been up to:

Loris has been in Williston since her return from Minnesota after Christmas. Each week consists of church on Sunday, trips to the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, hospice calls on Thursday morning and evangelism committee visits on Thursday afternoon. The only man in her life is Arther(itis) and it appears that he has moved in to stay.

Susan says spring in Arizona has been hotter than usual and sprinkles of rain have been infrequent. She and Glenn took a five-hour trip in the desert on their Can-Am where they enjoyed lunch in the open air. Other than her root canal and some heart tests, she and Glenn are doing well. By the time this edition goes to press, they will be back in ND. They have their first great-grandson named Otto. They are grandparents to 14, ages 15 to 29. Like last year, Susan will be missing our June convention to attend a granddaughter’s wedding but will see us at camp.

Brenda has been lying low, playing low and is anxious and ready to welcome warm weather so she can get out of her house and into her yard and garden. She continues in physical therapy with progress steady, but slow. She, her two brothers and sister-in-law shared an Easter buffet meal together at a local restaurant. Here is a tasty spring dessert she shares with us to try:

Easy Lemon Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust

1 can sweetened condensed milk – Eagle brand

1 cup condensed frozen lemon juice, slightly thawed

8 oz. container Cool Whip

3 or 4 squirts of yellow food coloring (optional)

Mix sweetened condensed milk with lemonade. Fold in the Cool Whip and food coloring (if desired). Pour mixture over the crust. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or in the freezer for 2 hours.

Serves 8.

Carol, her husband and son adventured out east at the beginning of March to visit Anna and check out the historical sites around Boston. In addition to bringing back great memories, she also returned home with a heck of an earache which sent her to the ER. While Carol says she loves to travel, there will have to be serious consideration given before she gets onto the next plane. Her family was home in Williston for Easter.

Our friend Minerva is currently in California visiting friends; we will catch up with her in the next edition.

Kathy enjoyed time with her sisters Karlyn, Loris and Janelle. Karlyn came to Williston for a few days after Easter. They tried out the new Pizza Ranch one evening, spent an afternoon/evening at Stan and Kathy’s home sharing stories from childhood days with fun memories and much laughter, and celebrated a cousin’s birthday with a surprise party at Janelle’s home. Kathy says that spring seeding will soon be starting unless it decides to snow! She is thankful for the return of the meadowlarks and robins with their beautiful songs.

Sheryl isn’t quite too sure how it happened, but she took a spill at home, resulting in a trip to the floor. She now has been using a walker. She also has made a visit to the eye doctor. Easter was spent with her son David and family.

I made another trip to LA in the middle of March to help our son celebrate his 40^th birthday. Once again, the time we spent together at restaurants, a natural history museum and even one more day at Disneyland was great! We also attended the musical Beetlejuice which was audio described. I have been spending time lining up table hosts for the Bismarck Lions’ “Dining in the Dark” event scheduled for April 24^th.

We all wish for you those May flowers after the April showers!

My Why: Living With Blindness

by Allan Peterson
Originally printed in The ACB Braille Forum

My blindness is the result of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a genetic disease that primarily affects the retina. I was first diagnosed by an ophthalmologist in Fargo, N.D. in the fall of 1976. At the time, the diagnosis came as a complete surprise to my family and me, as there was no known family history of RP.

RP is now known to include more than 350 genetic variants, and over the years I became determined to understand which specific gene was responsible for my condition. That search finally paid off this past fall, when genetic testing identified the exact cause of my RP: an autosomal recessive mutation.

In simple terms, our genetic makeup is formed from DNA inherited from both parents. A recessive gene is only expressed when both copies of the gene are defective. In my case, I inherited one defective RP gene from each parent. Although my parents carried the gene, they did not develop RP themselves because each also had a healthy copy of the gene that masked the defective one.

As children, my brothers and I each had a one-in-four chance of inheriting two defective copies. I was the one who did. My brothers received at least one healthy copy and therefore did not develop RP. The same is true for our three children, who inherited a healthy copy from their mother.

RP primarily affects the rod and cone photoreceptors in the retina. These cells capture light and transmit signals through the visual pathway to the brain, where vision is formed. Rods are responsible for night and peripheral vision, while cones allow us to see color and fine detail, particularly in the central retina (the macula).

The earliest symptom of RP is often night blindness, as rods are usually affected first. Loss of peripheral vision commonly follows, along with difficulties distinguishing colors — in my case, especially between shades of blue and green. Looking back, I now recognize that I experienced mild symptoms several years before my formal diagnosis.

After the diagnosis, my vision loss accelerated. I became legally blind around 1981, and by the late 1980s I no longer had usable vision.

My genetic testing also revealed something remarkable: the two mutations responsible for my RP trace back to different ancestral populations — one from a Finnish subpopulation and the other from a Spanish European subpopulation. While RP remains a progressive condition, and current treatments are largely experimental, science continues to move forward at a pace that gives genuine reason for hope.

Would I choose not to be blind if given the option? Without hesitation, yes. But I also accept who I am — a person who is blind. Blindness is not something I sought, but it is something I have learned to live with, adapt to, and understand deeply. I am always willing to speak with others about this journey, because knowledge — shared openly — matters.

Looking Forward: Hope Through Research

Although there is currently no cure for retinitis pigmentosa, the future is brighter than it has ever been. Advances in genetic science have transformed RP from a single diagnosis into a collection of well-defined conditions, opening the door to treatments that are more precise, more personal, and more effective than ever before.

Researchers are actively exploring gene-based therapies designed to correct or compensate for defective genes, with the goal of slowing — and in some cases stopping — retinal degeneration. Other approaches focus on protecting remaining retinal cells, preserving vision for as long as possible. Still others are pushing the boundaries of what was once unimaginable, including optogenetics, retinal implants, and regenerative strategies that may one day restore meaningful visual function even after significant loss.

Hope does not always arrive as a dramatic cure. Sometimes it comes quietly — in extended independence, improved contrast, better light perception, or simply more time. Every step forward matters.

I may not personally benefit from many of these advances, but I believe deeply in the importance of continuing the work. Research today is not just about curing disease; it is about changing what the future looks like for those who come next. With continued collaboration, education, and commitment, inherited blindness does not have to remain an accepted destiny.

Hope, like vision, can take many forms — and it is very much alive.

90 Years of Memories

NDAB members were invited to share their favorite memories from NDAB events. Thank you to those who submitted memories!

Loris Van Berkom

It was 1984. Three events occurred between June and August that shaped my life forever. In June, Ernest Preabt’s son Duane, a friend of a friend, gave me a ride to Minot to attend the NDAB State Convention. Janelle, who was living in Bismarck, met me there because there is always strength in numbers. It was a large gathering of some sighted but many persons who were blind or visually impaired. Leo Brilz was elected president replacing Elmer Morlock. Many members ran for a variety of offices. We met many very nice people. Donna Jean Harstad gave a report about attending the ACB Conference in Philadelphia the previous year. She and several others were planning on going to Las Vegas in July for the 1984 ACB Conference. She and Debbie Ramy invited me to go and share a room so I went and had a great experience. My sisters and I had received invitations to attend camp for many years but had always ignored them. It was decided that I would go and try it out and if I liked it one or both of them would attend the next summer. Duane drove me to Minot where I stayed overnight with his parents so I could board a bus in the morning headed to camp. That was a very long night! I wasn’t sure what I had gotten myself into. My fear of the unknown and my apprehension of going to a camp with a bunch of people who were blind was immediately calmed when I met my camp buddy, Deloris Stenvold. I spent the week helping everyone because I believed that I could see better than most of the other campers. I was being “little Miss Helper,” there to serve but not there for me. I was well adjusted and doing just fine. I certainly didn’t need a white cane! Then on Saturday, Don Berg gathered several people including me for a real “Come to Jesus meeting.” I finally had to face my sight loss, accept it and deal with it. That was the worst and best day of my life! When I think of NDAB, I realize that “NDAB is people.” I remember all of the wonderful people that have touched my life and become very dear friends over the last 42 years. Many of them are gone now but they will remain in my heart and mind forever. I am so thankful for Duane who pushed and encouraged me to get involved with NDAB and all that I have learned and experienced throughout the years because of NDAB!

Kathy Larson

I could write several pages of memories and what NDAB has meant to me. Stan and I first got acquainted with the organization when we attended the Family Adjustment Seminar in Dickinson in 1984. Little did I ever think that the volunteer staff members who led the event would become life-long friends. Before that weekend was done, I was strongly encouraged to attend the NDAB Summer Camp in 1985. Loris had attended camp the summer before and she spoke so highly of her experience there, so I decided to give it a try. I remember coming into the camp on that Sunday afternoon on the bus with Loris and others from Williston; if I could have turned around and gone home, I would have done just that! That week really made me deal with and accept my sight loss…crying, laughing and sharing with others who were dealing with many of the same kinds of issues. I was impressed at the wonderful teachers and the various kinds of classes offered. I especially loved the music in the evenings. As a guitar player, I was invited to join other musicians at the jam sessions in the dining hall, and every night the time for quitting got later and later before we decided that we needed to get some sleep. By Saturday morning I decided that I didn’t need to get up for breakfast. I was alerted that Camp Director Dan was sending guys to my cabin to carry the bed, with me in it, to the dining hall. Needless to say, I quickly got up and dressed for breakfast. That summer camp week was the first of many NDAB Summer Camps for me. I learned how to do machine knitting and how to use a computer, thanks to teachers at camp, and then teaching those same classes along with a dance class and “Travel with Kathy.” I enjoyed my years as Financial Chairperson and Promoter Editor, and being on staff for Family Adjustment Seminar, knowing that other lives could be changed through connections with NDAB as it did for me. I have been richly blessed. The best ever was when all four of us sisters and Dad spent camp weeks together…four of us with sight loss and my twin sister Karlyn as camp nurse and helper. At last year’s convention I was awarded a Lifetime Membership. Thank you, NDAB!

Janelle Olson

I was 35. NDAB changed my life and I can tell you exactly when it happened. It was on a Tuesday afternoon. It was a hot, sweltering August in 1989. I was sitting cross-legged on my bed in cabin #12 at camp surrounded by the humid, musty cabin air and a ball of yarn on the loose in my lap. My hands were attempting to work on an assignment from a class earlier in the day, crocheting a potholder. It wasn’t going well. In hindsight, I perhaps had no business being in a crocheting class, but this is not the point. I began to cry. My tears dripped and soaked into the wad of yarn in my hands which clearly looked more like the start of a curvy rainbow and not a square potholder. No, it was not the frustration of the project, but rather the realization in that moment I was in a place where I belonged. It was in this place, NDAB Camp, I was surrounded by others who also had sight loss. There was no more pretending I could see just like the rest of the world. It was in this place I truly found my authentic self, and for this, I will be forever grateful.

Brenda Bruins

I’ve been a member since 1986. The first year I went to went to camp was a scary thing. I got off the bus and thought, “What am I doing?” After classes, during open swim, Ruthie and I tried to get up in this great big inner tube. Also, the bear hunts in the dark with Rick. All the pranks that people would do to each other – like stealing your bed or your sheets. People don’t do that as much anymore probably because we’re getting old! I’ve met so many wonderful people.

Other memories I have include when we would go to the dining hall and listen to music. People would play their guitars until 3 or so in the morning, then we’d go to bed and get up again at 6 and go again. And then one time in Cabin 23, they short-sheeted all our beds as a prank. The ones in the back, Rosie’s and Ruthie’s, they didn’t do, but they stripped their beds, so it was kind of funny.

Bobby Westermeyer

I remember many of the good times Mike Jolly and I had at camp. I have many good memories of Olga Neal for some of the special things she did particularly at the School when I was in her classroom. She wrote notes in between my fingers with a pencil. I have lots of memories of Mickey Teubner, and thankful to him for keeping me on the straight and narrow when things were going on. Thanks to Cora Como and Edward Christiansen for getting me into NDAB. Mark Ketterling for being my camp buddy my first year at camp. Donna Izler for getting me involved in braille groups in Grand Forks. Margaret Close for trying to get me into religious class even though she failed.

Mary Lou Stip

I was scared to death of course going to camp for the first time. But the thing I noticed right away is you can go there and just be yourself. You are amongst others like you and others who know where you are coming from. I like to say that it’s like a colony. The week at camp is just for us and for us alone. I go there to learn the skills that I didn’t know anything about.

Development Director’s Report, Spring 2026

Submitted by Allan Peterson, Development Director

A review of our Giving Hearts Day (GHD) event in 2026:

Except for analysis, the 2026 version of Giving Hearts Day has now come and gone. An appreciative THANK YOU to all that helped or/and donated to our 2026 Giving Hearts Day in any way. The income we need to operate is dependent on our ability to fundraise and Giving Hearts Day is our primary tool to get this important work done.

Accentuating the positives about Giving Hearts Day in 2026:

The 2026 version of Giving Hearts Day was held on February 12. It was NDAB’S tenth anniversary of our participation in GHD.
This year NDAB raised $32,942.10 from 160 donors that made their donations online or sent checks that were uploaded into our Giving Hearts Day account during the donating period that began January 12 and ended at midnight, February 12, 2026.
NDAB established a Match Fund account of $25,044 from 74 donors in advance of Giving Hearts Day. Funds in this account are used to match Giving Hearts Day donations dollar-for-dollar up to the total in this fund.
Our Giving Hearts Day total was boosted nicely by a generous $15,000 donation from the Horace Lions Club. Donations from several other Lion Clubs also contributed mightily to our success.
Twenty donations totaling $5,787.52 meant for Giving Hearts Day was received after the February 12 GHD cut off and became what is called “bonus bucks.”
When bonus bucks are added to the Giving Hearts Day amount, the grand total is $38,729.62. And, When the Match Fund is added to this, the total becomes $63,773.62.

A grateful and appreciative thank you is extended to all who served on the NDAB Giving Hearts Day Committee and who played pivotal roles in our success this year. Special thanks to:

Rebecca Anderson for her many hours of work maintaining our donation records and for sending the many thank you messages.
Michelle Zentz and Zelda Gebhard for their many hours of diligent work to update and maintain the master donor list.
Kaity Young for her work to prepare the NDAB web site for Giving Hearts Day and to help to edit our mailings.
Emily Brown and Zelda for their editing and graphic design work.
To Emily Brown for creating the GHD messages posted on our Facebook page.
To David Olson and Trampes for their work on the MailChimp messages.
NDAB President Loris attended many of our meetings – thanks Loris for your encouragement.
Brant Adams for maintaining the NDAB website.
To my wife Judy for being my eyes and helping me with what I needed to get done.

An appreciative thank you to those who joined with me to make the calls to thank donors on Giving Hearts Day: Zelda Gebhard, Michelle Zentz, and Lilly Dunrud.

And THANK YOU to anyone else who I may have missed who helped in any way with this effort.

The total volunteer hours that are devoted to our involvement in Giving Hearts Day is monumental. I cannot thank the Committee members enough for their dedication to this effort!

To help promote our participation in Giving Hearts Day this year we hosted a 90th birthday/anniversary party for NDAB on February 3 at the NDSU Campus Lutheran Center. The party was in honor of those who have helped NDAB achieve 90 years as a nonprofit organization. Approximately 45 guests were present. Among our guests were Paul Olson, Ken Dockter, and 3 students who came from North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind, 4 students from NDSU, local Lions Club members, local legislators, NDAB members, and others. Arrangements were made for birthday cake, cookies, cider, coffee, fruit, and snacks. A brief history of NDAB’s achievements and leaders were recounted to help inform our guests about NDAB. A local TV station came to gather information for a human interest story about our event and NDAB that was shown on their news shows that evening. Many who witnessed this coverage commented on how well this story was presented to the viewing audience. With all that as a takeaway we can deem the event to have been a phenomenal educational and awareness-building opportunity. Many thanks to Rebecca Anderson and her husband, Greg, and my wife, Judy, for all their hard work to make this a successful event.

A review of NDAB’s fundraising streams from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, by category:

- Walk For Vision $3,153.95
- ND Lions Clubs $3,068.00
- ND Charitable Gaming Sites $10,850.00
- Unclassified Donations $9,945.57 (Individuals & Business Donors)
- Giving Hearts Day $32,942.10
- Giving Hearts Bonus Bucks $5,787.52

My gratitude and deep appreciation go out to NDAB Treasurer Rebecca Anderson for her dedication and help to calculate the above totals. It represents hours upon hours of work on her part.

Legislative & Advocacy Report, Spring 2026

Submitted by Allan Peterson and Zelda Gebhard

Advocacy for greater accessibility is a theme that could well describe the visits Zelda and I had in the offices of members of our North Dakota congressional delegation when we met with them on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, March 10. It is with a sense of satisfaction that we can say that our visits with staff people in the offices of Senator Cramer, Senator Hoeven, and Representative Fedorchak went well – they listened attentively and asked good questions. The visit we had with a staff person in Representative Fedorchak’s office was particularly poignant because the staffer’s mother has sight loss due to macular degeneration. Our visits are an integral part of the American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Leadership Meetings that are held annually in the Washington, D.C. area close to ACB’s national office and strategically not that far from Capitol Hill.

A highlight of our Capitol Hill visit was the opportunity we had to again have a visit with Anna Scallon, NDAB member Carol Scallon’s daughter, who now works as the office manager for Senator Hoeven’s D.C. office on Capitol Hill. It was truly a very pleasant connection with a young, successful North Dakotan.

A brief description of the issues we brought to discuss on our Capitol Hill visits were:

The Medical Device Non-Visual Accessibility Act – to help ensure that medical equipment that has visual information on a digital display is accessible to people with sight loss.
The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act – establishes clear and enforceable accessibility standards for websites and software applications so they can be accessed by people who are blind or have low vision.
The Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (CVTA) to update existing requirements for accessible video streaming and conferencing services.

If you have read the past legislative reports, you will have noticed that the three issues from this year’s visits with our ND congressional delegation were the same as we have brought to their attention and advocated for in past years. The reason that these issues remain a focus of our advocacy is that they are critical to advancing our independence and, second, we know from experience that it most often takes time to gain enough support to pass important legislation like this. We also know from experience that they do hear us because they recognize the issues from our past conversations with them. We show up to remind them these issues have not gone away, and we haven’t either. We also took this opportunity on Capitol Hill to make courtesy visits to drop off literature in support of these three priorities in the offices of the Wyoming and Montana congressional delegations and to let them know that people in the blind community in our neighboring states support these legislative initiatives as well. The visits also gave us the opportunity to urge financial and administrative support for the National Eye Institute and for the Randolph-Sheppard Vendor Program that were the subjects of the two resolutions that were adopted last year at our 2025 Convention in Bismarck.

I am not complaining, but my trip to D.C. this year was a bit of a hassle due to bad March storms. I spent two unplanned overnight stays at the O’Hare Airport in Chicago on the night of March 6 and then again on the trip back on the night of March 10. But all is well that ends well; I got back to Fargo on March 11 via a flight from Chicago to Minneapolis, followed by a bus ride from there to Fargo, arriving back in Fargo on the afternoon of the 11^th. Word to the wise, avoid flights into Chicago when March storms are brewing.

Finally, we strongly emphasize that this is a very important nationwide election year and time to exercise your right to vote. In North Dakota this includes a state primary election coming up on Tuesday, June 9. The primary ballot includes elections for several elected offices – for the U.S. House of Representatives, many statewide elective offices, ND state legislator offices in odd numbered districts, judgeships, initiated measures, and many local county, city, and school board offices. As citizens, it is our right and, I dare say, duty to cast a secret, independent ballot that is available to us whether we go to an assigned polling site or choose to apply for and cast a secret independent absentee ballot that is now available to people who are blind or have low vision.

Donations January to March 2026

Submitted by Rebecca Anderson, Treasurer/Registered Agent

Total $42,751.37

Lions $200.00

Pettibone Lions

Charitable Gaming $1,500.00

Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation

Linton Lions

Thrivent $370.00

Anonymous Donation $1,000.00

Memorials $851.75

For Donna Hepper: From Lorinda Becker, Wanda Dalton, Sylvia Darras, Julie Hornbacher, Karen Jensen, Lynette Kraft, Bobbi Leier, Judy Nohrenberg, Allan and Judy Peterson, Tamara Peterson, Heather Schmidt

For Elsie Friesz: From Sharon Johnson in memory of her mother

Giving Hearts Day $32,942.10

Giving Hearts Day Bonus $5,887.52 (Donations intended for GHD, arrived after February 12)

Thank you to the many incredibly generous people and organizations for Giving Hearts Day donations.

North Dakota Association of the Blind, Inc. Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

March 30, 2026

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Loris Van Berkom, Lexee Steffan, Rebecca Anderson, Helen Baumgartner, Janelle Olson, Elias Youngblom, Mary Stip, Allan Peterson and Trampes Brown

GUESTS: Michelle Zentz, Gerald Byron, Elamin Abaker, Angela Christle & Tracy Wicken

CALL TO ORDER: Loris called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm via Zoom. Roll call was taken.

REGULAR AGENDA: Loris read the agenda. Allan made a motion to accept the agenda as read, seconded by Trampes. MC

PUBLIC COMMENT: None

BUSINESS AGENDA:

Secretary: On January 15th, Allan made a motion, seconded by Janelle to approve the January 14th board minutes. MC On February 1st, Mary made a motion to approve the Executive Board Manual, seconded by Janelle. MC On March 23rd, Janelle made a motion to approve a Lifetime Membership to be announced at the 2026 convention, seconded by Helen. MC

Treasurer: Helen made a motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report for January and February, seconded by Lexee. MC

Finance: Fundraising since June 1st totals $62,452 from various sources. GHD totaled $37,404. Allan thanked those involved in assisting with GHD. A GHD event was held Feb 3rd at NDSU Crossroads Lutheran Center. There were 40 – 50 people in attendance. There was good media coverage for this event.

Membership: Lexee made a motion to approve two returning members: Khloe Sobolik, Rugby, sighted and Andrew McCloud, St. Paul, MN, VI, and a new Junior member, Marnell Sobolik, Rugby, sighted, seconded by Allan. MC There are currently 118 paid members.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Awards: Mary reported there were 3 applicants for the Robert LePage Award. Larry Odegaard from the Gateway Lions was selected.

Camp Report: Camp classes for the 2026 camp session were read. Mary made a motion to approve the class list, seconded by Lexee. MC

Dining in the Dark: The Bismarck Lions Club is planning a DITD in Bismarck on April 24. Currently there are 8 table hosts. The event will be held at the Municipal Country Club. Rooms are reserved at the Radisson.

Legislative: Allan reported on his trip to DC for the Spring Legislative Seminar. The meetings went well. All three congressional offices were visited informing them of the current concerns our organization is legislating for support.

Nominations: The following slate of officers was presented: Board Director – Dondi Sobolik, Editor – Emily Stenberg Brown, President – Loris Van Berkom, Vice President – Lexee Steffan, Treasurer – Rebecca Anderson, ACB Delegate for 2027 – Dondi Sobolik and Alternate ACB Delegate for 2027 – Gerald Byron. Allan made a motion to approve the slate of officers, seconded by Lexee. MC

Scholarship: Scholarship applications were sent out via email and the website. Tracy only received one application. Cylee Walton was recommended for the $2,000 NDAB scholarship. Cylee also fits the requirements for the $2,000 Olga Neal Scholarship as well since she is working on her bachelor’s degree in special education and her master’s degree in teacher of the visually impaired concurrently. Tracy made a motion that Cylee Walton receive both scholarships, seconded by Janelle. Loris reminded Tracy that the top NDAB scholarship amount was changed at the 2025 convention from $2000 to $4000. Tracy amended the motion that Cylee receive the $4,000 NDAB Scholarship and the $2,000 Olga Neal Scholarship, seconded by Janelle. MC The motion to present Cylee with both scholarships passed.

Sports & Rec: The Spring Retreat will be held April 25 & 26 at the Quality Inn in Bismarck. Registration is still open until April 15. There is a minimum of 10 people needed to hold the event. Presently there are 4 people registered.

2026 Convention: Meal selections will be finalized March 31. Convention packets will be sent in the mail, but people will be encouraged to register online. An email was sent out to register for hotel rooms ASAP. The rooms will be released on May 5th. An Attorney from P&A will be the speaker for the Saturday luncheon. Having other speakers present virtually are being worked on.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Archiving Talent Shows: David Olson agreed to archive the Talent Shows. Elias will get the tapes to David at NDVS/SB.

Grandpa’s White Cane: Most of the books are being mailed out, but they can be delivered in person. If more are needed, contact Trampes or Zelda.

Updating Manuals: The Secretary Manual and the Memorandum of Understanding with NDVS/SB Manual will be updated and sent out for approval.

NEW BUSINESS:

Alternate Delegate for 2026 ACB Convention: Since Vince Ulstad is not able to attend the convention, Elias will be the ACB Delegate. Loris appointed Janelle as Alternate ACB Delegate.

Alternate Delegate Discussion: Discussion was held regarding the responsibilities of the Alternate Delegate and how much they are expected to do with no compensation. Suggestions were presented. A discussion will be held at the convention in June.

Purchasing an Ad in Lions All-Star Program: Allan made a motion that NDAB consider buying an ad in the Lions All-Star Program, seconded by Janelle. Elias amended the motion stating NDAB purchase a $150 quarter page black and white ad in the All-Star Basketball Program, seconded by Trampes. A roll call vote was taken with 7 members voting in favor of the motion. Mary abstained from the vote. The motion for NDAB to purchase a $150 quarter page black and white ad in the Lions All-Star Basketball Program passed with Mary abstaining.

Public Comment: None

Announcement: Tracy informed the board that she will be retiring from NDVS/SB, effective June 5th after the Adult Week ends. May 20th will be her retirement party at NDVS/SB. She also shared that the Statue of Service project has over $100,000. There is a committee working together to raise funds. If she is at the convention, she will give a more detailed report.

NEXT MEETING: May 19, 2026 at 7:30

ADJOURN: Allan made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Lexee. MC The meeting adjourned at 9:26 pm.

Respectfully Submitted, Helen Baumgartner, NDAB Secretary

Communication Connections:

Website: www.ndab.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoDakAB/

Communication submissions: comms@ndab.org

Address: NDAB, PO Box 824, West Fargo, ND 58078

All members are encouraged to submit items of interest to the editor at promoter@ndab.org for publication. Deadline is the 10th of the month prior to quarterly publications of February, May, August, and November.

NDAB is a nonprofit organization which promotes the interest of ND residents who are blind and visually impaired. As a nonprofit organization, we welcome donations to help in advancing the cause of persons who are blind and visually impaired. For more information about NDAB, visit www.ndab.org.