Our Mission
“The mission of the National Federation of the Blind is to achieve widespread emotional acceptance and intellectual understanding that the real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight but the misconceptions and lack of information which exist. We do this by bringing blind people together to share successes, to support each other in times of failure, and to create imaginative solutions.”
The NFB of Colorado, a state affiliate of the national organization, shares this mission and works as a whole and in concert with its state-wide chapters to accomplish it.
What We Do
The goals and initiatives of the NFB of Colorado are established at the state convention which is held annually in October or November. (See the sub-heading "NFBCO State Convention" for information about the next state convention.) At the convention members examine the current impediments to the blind community in accessing full and equal access to goods and services in our state. The issues that are considered most serious are presented to the general membership in the form of resolutions. The resolutions, adopted by vote of the members, become the framework for the work that will be done in the following year.
Many of our initiatives involve political action. On a state level, the NFB of Colorado visits the State Capitol in January or February to meet with our legislators to educate them about the issues affecting the blind of the state. The legislators are given a legislative fact sheet outlining those issues. You can read the legislative agenda from a previous Day at the Capitol by clicking here.
The NFBCO also participates in political action on a national level. At the end of January or early February the NFBCO joins the other state NFB affiliates in Washington, DC to speak to our national legislators. NFBCO members from across the state join together to travel to the nation's capitol for what is termed "Washington Seminar". It is a thrilling experience to participate with hundreds of other blind people as tapping canes resound in the halls of Congress. To read the Legislative Agenda from a previous Washington Seminar click here. Information about future Washington Seminars can be found at NFB.org.
The National Federation of the Blind national convention, which is held the first week of July, is an important annual activity for the state affiliate. We live in a global, electronic age and many of today's challenges for blind and visually impaired citizens must be addressed on the national level. NFB of Colorado is proud to take a strong leadership role at the national convention where over 3,000 people from NFB affiliates across the country gather for a week of educating, brainstorming, politicking and problem solving. The national convention gives us inspiration, encouragement and resolve to carry on the exciting work of our movement and continue expanding the horizons for blind people everywhere. Information about future National Conventions can be found at NFB.org.