NFB of Tennessee Chapters and Affiliated Divisions

The National Federation of the Blind of Tennessee, like other state affiliates of the National Federation of the Blind consists of local chapters and state-wide special-interest groups or divisions. Local chapters meet monthly to discuss issues of concern to members, and to plan local activities to promote the federation's goal of full integration of the blind in to society on a basis of equality with the sighted. These take various forms and are conducted by members to raise funds, and to take our message of a positive philosophy of blindness to the local community.

Likewise many state affiliates, including Tennessee, have a number of special interest divisions that address specific concerns to portions of the blind population. The Tennessee Association of Blind Students, (TABS) is one example. Other such divisions include blind vendors, guide dog users, computer users, diabetics, parents of blind children, etc. These can be thought of as state affiliates of our national divisions which usually bear the same name. For example, the Tennessee Association of Blind Students is the Tennessee affiliate of the National Association of Blind Students, (NABS.) These groups usually meet during the annual state convention of the NFB of Tennessee and at other times during the year to conduct specific activities. Below is a list of all NFB of Tennessee local chapters and affiliated divisions along with their meeting information, and contact information. We suggest that you contact the person listed to obtain further information about the chapter or division of interest to you to obtain specific meeting dates and times as well as other activities of these groups in whichyou wish to participate.

NFB of Tennessee Local Chapters

We have arranged this list of local NFBT Chapters alphabetically so they can be located easily on this page:

Memphis Federation of the Blind

The purpose of the Memphis Federation of The Blind is to advance the general welfare of the blind of Shelby County and the State of Tennessee and to serve as a vehicle for collective action by the blind of Shelby County .

Meetings

The Memphis Federation of the Blind holds regular meetings on the third Saturday of the month at 1-00 P.M. The chapter meets at the Crenchaw Branch of the Memphis Public Library on Vance Avenue. For further information contact Jerraldine Parker, President of the Memphis Federation of the Blind at:

http://www.nfb-memphis.org

Middle Tennessee Chapter

The Middle Tennessee chapter of the NFB of Tennessee is a group of blind and sighted people throughout the Greater Nashville Area who are committed to the ideals of security, equality and opportunity for blind people and who seek to achieve these ideals through changing what it means to be blind, both for society in general and for individual blind people specifically. The chapter is organized and maintained by blind people and is part of the Tennessee state affiliate which is part of the national organization - The National Federation of the Blind. The membership is diverse, as blindness effects people from all walks of life, of all ages and from all professions. Though the chapter is still less than 50 members strong membership already includes parents, grand-parents, high school and college students, musicians, song-writers, a recording engineer, teachers, salespeople, a nurse, a computer network administrator, a chiropractor, a radio station owner, a disabled persons program coordinator and several small business owners. There are single people, married people, blind people and seeing people, diabetics, Australians, guide-dog users and cane users, smokers and non-smokers. In short, our chapter is representative of society in general. You can get an idea of our membership and work by reading bios of our officers, and our minutes of past meetings located on our Web site. The URL is given below.

The Middle Tennessee chapter meets on the first Saturday of every month (except July) from 10:30am to 12:30PM. Members usually go to lunch together after the meeting.

Meetings are held in office space at the following address:

If you are planning to attend a meeting, please call the president to confirm meeting information as occasional changes are sometimes necessary.

Contact Information: