NABS Notes - October 2025

“Fall is a gentle reminder that change can be beautiful.”- Heather Stillufsen

In this edition you will find:

  • A Message from Katie Presley, First Vice President of the National Association of Blind Students
  • Committee Updates
  • Student Division Spotlight

A Message from Katie Presley, First Vice President of the National Association of Blind Students

Dear NABS family,

Whether basking in the crisp northern air, praying it will show up at some point in the South, or enjoying the general perfection that is West Coast weather, you are in the midst of the fall season. Particularly for students, this is a time of fresh starts, new adventures, and challenges not yet faced—freeing, thrilling, and daunting all at once. I have learned from my years as a student that there is no more critical time to have a supportive network that shares your drive, understands your values, and has experienced—or is simultaneously experiencing—the challenges you are facing.

I joined the National Association of Blind Students this past July. I knew the caliber of students who were members, knew they understood my desire to push boundaries and change the world’s perceptions of blind people. I had no idea, though, of the wealth of resources that had just been unlocked for me. I would ask a technology question and get five tips I had never thought of. I would explain an obstacle I wanted to circumnavigate at work, and I would get practical advice as well as encouragement. NABS showed itself to be the sort of community that anyone would want in their corner, especially during a time of change—a support system spurring members to their desired level of achievement, then telling them they can go farther, if they want to.

September saw our first wave of events where students had the opportunity to give and receive advice on everything from advocacy to academic resources to book recommendations, as well as participate in our beloved fantasy football fundraiser. Events on the horizon include the relaunching of the NABS Now Podcast in October and registration for student seminars—amazing opportunities for growth, travel, and interaction with blind professionals and other blind students. If you feel connected to any NABS events or initiatives, chances are there is an opportunity to become involved in putting them on. Be sure to tap into the NABS resources at your disposal—Zoom calls, the WhatsApp community, and so much more—but don’t be afraid to push yourself to contribute to them.

Here’s to a great season of learning and opportunity!

Warmly,
Katie Presley
First Vice President, National Association of Blind Students

Committee Updates

All four of our committees are adding something new to the table this October, from events to fundraisers.

Content Creation

We on the Content Creation Committee are so excited to be launching and continuing initiatives to promote the positive perception of blindness to the widest audience possible, both outside and within the NABS community. One such initiative is the NABS Now Podcast! There have been many questions regarding its much-anticipated return, and we are thrilled to announce that an episode will be dropping on White Cane Day, this October 15th! In honor of the day and of Blind Equality and Achievement Month, our hosts, Izzy Bailey and Qualik Ford, will be asking a panel of blind professionals across a wide variety of fields about their cane journeys and the success they have found in their careers and lives. Make sure you are subscribed to NABS Now on your preferred podcast platform for new episode notifications. You won’t want to miss this or any other future episodes!

In addition to the podcast, we will also be launching an innovative video series called Blind Student Storytime, in which blind students will be given the chance to recount a triumph or travail on camera. The kicker: while telling their story, the student will be doing something in their life that they enjoy—like decorating a cake, building a bookshelf, working out—anything they can think of. While speaking about their experience is an important part of the video, its punch and impact will be found in the actions of the storyteller, someone not just talking about but demonstrating the many facets of their capability. These videos will naturally correct false perceptions about blindness, and we hope you will check them out and share them with as many people as possible!

The Content Creation Committee is always looking for new voices and skill sets to add to the team. If you enjoy editing of any kind, communication, or just being creative, we’d love to hear from you. For updates on NABS happenings and other engaging content, make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. We’re excited for the year ahead!

Kaleigh Brendle, Chair
Ben Grelk, Co-Chair
Deya Gonzales, Co-Chair
Will Copes, Co-Chair

Membership Committee

This season, the NABS Membership Committee has lots of fun new initiatives in the works! We will be holding monthly membership calls starting on Sunday, September 28th, at 8 PM Eastern. The calls will take place in the NABS Zoom room and will cover a vast array of topics ranging from social discussions, to themed game nights, to educational panels, and everything in between! This first call will contain a series of themed breakout rooms where students can come to teach and learn from each other during this back-to-school transition. Next month, expect a White Cane–themed call that will integrate many educational, helpful speakers.

In addition to these membership calls, I am excited to report that our promotional task force is going to begin a project to engage the WhatsApp community: taking the time each week to post fun questions or polls for everyone to weigh in on! This will commence on the first Monday of October, so keep an eye on the chat to share your opinions.

Later down the line, membership has plans to revitalize the student slate and include articles from students everywhere. Our hope is that, through state engagement, a varied approach to monthly member calls, and a relaunch of the new member mentor program, we can increase our membership and bring a sense of connection into NABS well beyond face-to-face seminars.

Fundraising Committee

My name is Soso, and I have the pleasure of serving as the chair of the Fundraising Committee this year! Currently, my co-chairs are Alana Smith, Bella Teta, Abey Finklea, and James Yesel.

We are extremely excited to get started on planning and organizing fun ways to support the National Association of Blind Students! We have hit the ground running with our fantasy football fundraiser. We have four leagues up and running, and we can’t wait to see who comes out on top from each league! A variety of fun and unique activities are in the works for the rest of the year. Some potential events include—but are certainly not limited to—Double Good popcorn sales and a bake sale.

Please keep an eye out for our new and exciting events! We are always happy to welcome those who wish to lend us a hand, so if you are interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Thanks so much!

Advocacy Committee

With the start of a new school year, everyone is excited to get back to work and start new goals. The National Association of Blind Students Advocacy Committee is no different, and we are already hard at work to make this a strong year for our shared efforts. Headed by Elizabeth Miner and co-chaired by Noor Khraisat, Avah Orellana, and Ryan Lukowicz, there is a lot to summarize on what has happened and what is to come.

As of this writing, our two Task Forces are established and underway. Noor is leading the Governmental/Legal Task Force, which focuses on all things legislative, and Ryan chairs the Interpersonal Task Force dedicated to how we advocate for ourselves and access needs in school, in social settings, and beyond. It is never too late to join if interested.

We had our first DARE call on Sunday, September 21st, where we held an open forum to discuss struggles and successes with advocacy and access barriers in school. Some big themes were how to find accessible textbooks, what we can do when our books are not accessible, how to navigate the school cafeteria, and how to best handle making citations and ensuring that the formatting is correct. This served as a dynamic and empowering conversation where we all came together to support one another through our shared experience.

Our next DARE call is scheduled for Sunday, October 19th, at 8:00 PM EST and will focus on advocating at parties and events, specifically around Halloween and going into the holidays. We plan on having “what would you do?” style skits as well as guided discussions.

If you are a planner, we have good news: our November DARE call topic is already set—a year in review of blindness and related legislation in the news. This will serve as a means to catch up on everything that has happened this year and keep everyone informed on what is coming up. Following that, in December and January, we will host two training DARE calls in preparation for the Washington Seminar. Look out for upcoming news as it gets closer.

Hope to see everyone on the calls!

Student Division Spotlight

All of our student divisions have done great things, but for this month’s action we are incredibly proud of our Texas Association of Blind Students.

TABS has had a wonderful couple of months, hosting three in-person events for students. These all fall under the umbrella of their BOLD (Blindness Outdoor Leader Development) Program, with this year’s set of events being referred to as “Bolder” because they’ve been held before.

  • The Bolder event in March was geared toward adults and featured activities such as kayaking, pitching tents, starting and cooking over fires, and hiking. All members camped outside for the entire weekend.
  • April’s event was geared toward youth and featured the same activities, but these attendees were housed in a nearby hotel instead of in tents.
  • May’s event was a day-long experience keeping with the BOLD theme that allowed students attending the Texas School for the Blind to get to know the TABS board and learn about the division.

Message from the President of Texas Association of Blind Students 

For the Double Good popcorn fundraiser, that was just a general fundraiser to raise funds for our student division. We usually only participate in our Newsline grant challenge, so I thought it would be a good idea for us to do additional fundraisers to raise more money and support more events for our students. Our Student Summit held in August last year is something we put on pretty much every year—or every other year—where we talk about college preparation or work readiness, depending on the age group of students we are focusing on.

Closing

Lastly, if you have any questions,or future suggestions/recommendations for future editions. Please contact: nabs.president@gmail.com