2026 state Convention, Dayton, Ohio!

Welcome to the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio (NFBO)
2026 state Convention!

introduction

Ohio Affiliate, President, Richard Payne, and the Ohio Board of Directors invite you to come learn how to reach your maximum leadership potential, participate in motivational and leadership development seminars, and most of all learn about “living the life you want.”
The Convention dates are Thursday, November 5, 2026, through Sunday, November 8, 2026.

2026 Theme:

“Reflecting Our Journey, Shaping a New Vision: Empowering Members to Inspire the Future.”

Location and reserving your room

The 80th Ohio State convention will be held at the University of Dayton, Marriott Hotel. The address is 1414 South Patterson Blvd., Dayton, Ohio 45409. You can make reservations by calling (800) 627-7468. Individuals must identify themselves as being with the group, (The National Federation of the Blind), at the time the reservation is made. The discounted room rate is $129.00, with taxes of 16.5%. The last date to reserve a room is Monday, October 5, 2026.
You can book online as well, by clicking the following link:
Book your room online!
The good news is that when you make your reservations, funds are not deducted from your credit card until you arrive at the hotel.
RESERVE NOW!

Note: CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT

Check-in time is 3:00PM and Check-out time is Noon. Late check-out requests will be reviewed based on hotel demand.

Available hotel amenities

Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities, including:

  • An indoor pool
  • A spa tub
  • A fitness center
  • Complimentary wireless internet access
  • Gift shops/newsstands
  • An exclusive membership club experience

Also, enjoy a meal at the restaurant or snacks in the coffee shop/cafe. The hotel also offers room service (during limited hours). You can quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge. Cooked-to-order breakfasts are available daily from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM for a fee.

Other important hotel information

Not only does this hotel have great amenities, but transportation is also available within a 5-mile radius.

this year's exhibitors.

This year we have a great list of exhibitors.
Please see the list below and be sure to visit them in person in the exhibit hall from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM in the Tradewinds Room.

  • 2026 80th Convention Vendors Descriptions
  • Unspoken Events Co. LLC - Unspoken Events is a Deaf-owned business specializing in accessibility consulting, inclusive event planning, education, and community engagement. We work with organizations and communities to create accessible, welcoming experiences where everyone has an opportunity to participate.
  • See3D, Inc. - (See3D.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Cincinnati, OH that leads a community initiative of ~200 volunteers globally to design, print, and distribute 3D printed models for blind people across the world. See3D also offers 3D printing mentorship to organizations that want to create accessible 3D printing workflows. Come to the table to see our models, including our latest Weather Kit where you can provide feedback on the development.
  • State Library of Ohio - We offer a free audio and braille library service to eligible Ohioans, online or through the mail. This service is a partnership among the State Library of Ohio, the Cleveland Public Library’s Ohio Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, and the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled of the Library of Congress.
  • Pro Seniors - Pro Seniors, Inc and the Ohio Senior Medicare Patrol has a free legal helpline for Ohioans 60 and over. The Ohio Senior Medicare Patrol works to fight Medicare Fraud by educating beneficiaries on how to protect their information, detect Medicare fraud and report Medicare fraud to the appropriate agencies. At our table we will have sensory items connected with opportunities to learn about Medicare Fraud.
  • VisualEyes - VisualEyes Access offers remote visual interpreting, accessible document conversion and remediation, audio description for personal videos, and access technology through their ProVisions Shop. Flexible plans start at $1 per minute with subscription discounts and rollover minutes. New clients can try 30 minutes for just $10.
  • The Ohio Association of Guide Dog Users - OAGDU will have the following items at our booth:
    LuAnn will be providing 10-minute chair massages for $15.00 each. We will have our 3D guide dogs sized for the 11-inch fashion dolls, small plushies dressed like a guide dog, 3D bowls in 3 sizes that are great for pet bowls or just to set around with items in them, and Ohio Buckeye candy.
  • Aira - artificial intelligence, remote assistance (Aira),, is a visual interpreting service. Through our apps on iOS and Android as well as a web app for PC and Mac, we provide professional visual interpreters for the blind and low vision community to assist with visual tasks. We truly believe that “Access is a human right.”
  • Ohio Miami Valley Chapter - Miami Valley Chapter are selling its gear, T-shirts for $20, Hats for $10, Lanyards for five dollars and possibly snacks.
  • Envision Blind Sports -Envision Blind Sports has provided accessible sports and physical activity opportunities for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, helping participants build lifelong wellness, confidence, independence, and community, such as, goalball, soccer, tennis, water sports, downhill skiing, wrestling, judo, running and more.
  • Ida Carson Ministries (ICM) - ICM is a faith-based nonprofit organization that empowers veterans, caregivers, seniors, people with disabilities, and underserved communities through advocacy, education, and essential resources. Our programs include virtual spiritual support, lupus education and awareness, caregiver assistance, hygiene and food distribution, community outreach, and referrals to supportive services. We strive to promote inclusion, independence, dignity, and improved quality of life for those we serve.
  • NFB Ohio Affiliate – NFBO welcome convention shoppers to the Exhibit Hall to check out the following, crochet caps, crochet hats with matching cross body purses, crochet bathroom covers for air fresheners/tissue holders and delicious chocolate bars.
  • Ohio Cincinnati Chapter- We will have sweets and treats such as cookies and candy, also body oil fragrances and house fragrances to keep you and your home fresh.
  • Ohio New Toledo Chapter - We will offer our Buff City Soap spa bags, each containing either a half bar or a full bar of deluxe handmade soap, a bath sponge, and CALM tape —a slender, textured strip that provides a soothing tactile activity, similar to a fidget item.
    The bags will feature playful messages in Braille, such as “Scrub-a-Dub,” “Wash Your Cares Away,” and “Lather Up.”
    For our sweet treats, we have secured individually prepackaged, two-cookie packs of sugar-free Oreos. We are pleased to offer a sugar-free choice for attendees who prefer that option.
  • Vanda Pharmaceuticals - Non-24 - Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder
    Non-24 has High Prevalence and Low Awareness in the Blindness Community.
    Up to 70% of people who are totally blind have Non-24 and may not even know it.
    People living with Non-24 may experience trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, have a strong urge to sleep during the day, and have sleep patterns that are different from most people.
  • Vancro - Vancro We are the state vendor for SSP / CN services for Ohioans with dual sensory vision and hearing loss (DeafBlind). We are recruiting Support Service Providers and Co-Navigators and program participants.
  • Even Grounds - Even Grounds will exhibit 3D printed tactile maps, replicas and educational tools.
  • Access Center for Independent Living - The mission of the Access Center for Independent Living (ACIL) is to ensure that people with disabilities have full and complete access to the community in which they reside.
  • Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley - Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley strengthens individuals and families in need through actions of faith, service and charity by creating faithful partnerships to strengthen families and achieve a more hopeful community, and to seek to meet individual and family needs through professional practice, advocacy and faith into action.
  • Uniquely Inspired Sounds - Uniquely Inspired Sounds offers sound therapy services.
  • State Library of Ohio Talking Book Program - The State Library, along with the Cleveland Public Library and the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, provides audio, braille, and downloadable books to eligible residents. It allows users to download and listen to talking books and to read braille books using a braille display. The BARD Mobile app for Android (including Amazon Kindle Fire devices) is also available that allows users access to audio materials on their Android devices.
  • Ohio Amerifest Pageant - Come and meet the 2026 National and Ohio Amerifest Pageant Winner whose platform is advocating for the “Blind and DeafBlind”.
    This is not your traditional pageant. For more than 24 years, we've helped participants build real-world skills like communication, stage presence, and self-confidence—while gaining exposure to industry opportunities and talent development experiences that go far beyond the stage. With no swimsuit competition, no makeup for ages 12 and under, and no talent or experience required, every participant is welcomed, supported, and fully prepared through our training.
  • Ohio Disability Rights Law and Policy Center, Inc. - Disability Rights Ohio is a nonprofit corporation with a mission of empowering people with disabilities to advance rights, access, and equity.
    Since October 2012, Disability Rights Ohio has served as Ohio's Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system and Client Assistance Program (CAP). It is governed by a Board of Directors, primarily consisting of people with disabilities and family members of people with disabilities.
  • Better transportation Ohio
  • Social Security Administration ((SSA) - Please visit the SSA table to inquire and learn about programs and services on filing and maintaining benefits.
  • iCANCONNECT - The Ohio iCANCONNECT program gives people who are D/deafblind telecommunication equipment like cell phones, tablets, Braille displays etc as long as they meet income limits. to assist a person who is D/deafblind be able to communicate with the outside world.
  • Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wingfoot Lake State Park – Our mission is to ensure a balance between the wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all.
  • The Sight Center of Northwest Ohio - The Sight Center of Northwest Ohio offers a unique blend of programs and services that can help people of all ages work, learn, play, and live independently with permanent vision loss. From the Low Vision Clinic to high tech assistive devices, daily living adaptations, home safety enhancements, white cane training and caregiver support, The Sight Center is changing lives every day!
    Founded in 1923 as the Toledo Society for the Blind, The Sight Center is a non-profit, 501(c) 3 agency that provides clinical and in-home services to residents in an 18-county region in Northwest Ohio as well as parts of Southeast Michigan and Central Ohio.
  • All Aboard Ohio - All Aboard Ohio is a non-profit, member-based organization dedicated to promoting improved public transportation and passenger rail service throughout the United States, focusing on Ohio. Founded in 1973 and incorporated as a registered 501c-3 in 1987, All Aboard Ohio has spent more than 50 years advocating, educating, and working towards our goal of a connected Midwest.
  • Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths & Adults - Helen Keller National Center (HKNC) is the only national program providing comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services to youth (16 and older), working-age adults and seniors (55 and better) with combined hearing and vision loss. We work together with people who are DeafBlind to achieve their goals and aspirations.
  • Kolb Medical Massage and Wellness - Kolb Medical Massage and Wellness provides professional therapeutic massage services focused on pain relief, relaxation, and improved mobility. Visit our booth to experience chair massage and learn about our personalized medical massage and wellness services.
  • Pre-Authorized Contribution - Welcome to the National Federation of the Blind’s Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) program Table. Can you help the National Federation of the Blind on a regular basis? Please consider joining our pre-authorized contribution (PAC) plan. Starting at $5 monthly, you can help us turn dreams into reality and raise expectations. To enroll, visit the PAC Table in the Exhibit Hall to complete the process and learn more.

our national rep!

This year, we are pleased to have as our national rep the National President of the National federation of the blind, Mark A. Riccobono!

Mark's Bio

Mark A. Riccobono
Born in 1976, Mark Riccobono is the only child of two hard-working parents of modest means. Both were high school graduates, and, although they encouraged
their son and gave him an example of what persistence and hard work could do, they had no experience of higher education and no familiarity with blindness.
Riccobono was diagnosed as legally blind at the age of five, glaucoma being the disease that took his sight. Although he knew he had a vision problem,
as a child he never felt limited in what he could do. Being an only child just meant he relied more on friends, and his elementary years have left him
with good memories. He benefited from going to his neighborhood school because his contact with children was not just at school but in play, birthday celebrations,
and school holidays. His low vision meant he sometimes had to work harder, but the print was large, he got a seat in the front of the room, his teachers
did what they could to help, and his friends were comfortable with their buddy who didn't see quite as well as they did. "I was comfortable in my own skin,
and that made others around me comfortable as well." The obstacles he faced and the fact that he had some limitations simply emphasized that he should
do what his parents did when things got tough: they just worked hard and powered through, and powering through became an indispensable part of his personality.
block quote
In accepting the Presidency of this organization, I pledged to give all of my energy, my creativity, and my love to our movement. This is how I intend
to pay it back, pay it forward, and make a future full of opportunity for blind people. I have no illusions that this will be easy, but I have every expectation
that it will happen when all of us pull together to create the kind of future in which we truly live the lives we want.
block quote end
Riccobono got a very good elementary education, but found himself in a rough middle school. It was probably what would be called a failing school today.
Many of his elementary school friends went to other middle schools, so his social network began to evaporate. Now there were new friends to make and already
established groups who had reservations about adding new members to their circles, and this further added to what was already a difficult transition. The
year before he entered the school there had been a stabbing, and little emphasis was placed on academic success. This was the place where he learned to
stay under the radar, to isolate himself from others, and to decide his place was in the back of the classroom, where he was less likely to be noticed
or called on. There were no services to deal with vision loss, and the only accommodation he can recall receiving was a special lock for his locker that
he could operate.
Without a good way to read and to see the blackboard, he learned to rely on memory, but even a good memory could not consistently deliver good test scores,
and he believes that sometimes he was simply passed.
Riccobono remembers that he was sometimes challenged to do better and that often it was the math teachers who would ask more of him. But he was all too
frequently allowed just to exist there in the back of the room with the students least likely to raise their hands, shout out answers, or be called upon
by the classroom teacher. Riccobono describes this as learning to “be a passenger in my own life.”
To add to the difficulty of middle school, surgeries for glaucoma in eighth grade not only caused him to miss school, but eventually cost him a significant
amount of the little vision he had. An uncle who observed these futile attempts asked his nephew, "What are you going to do if it doesn't work? What will
you do if you don't get vision back?"
"I began to ask myself with each surgery whether we might not be chasing the unreachable dream," Riccobono said. A surgery performed to burn off some of
the scar tissue proved to be too effective, destroying the vision in his left eye and eventually causing it to shrink.
So Riccobono went into high school totally blind in one eye and with little vision in the other. In Milwaukee one could choose a high school based on its
specialty, and Riccobono chose the one that emphasized business and becoming an entrepreneur. Unbeknownst to him when he made his choice, this school had
a resource room for blind students. This was the first time he had considered that there might be others facing the challenges that made school difficult.
Riccobono is glad he chose to attend the high school emphasizing business. The teachers saw potential in him, and, for the first time in a long time, he
found himself surrounded by people who believed he had capacity. "High school was better than middle school had been; it had some very good teachers who
believed in my capacity, and it had people who worked to mentor me. They didn't understand where blindness fit into my career possibilities, but they knew
how to teach, saw potential in me, and were determined to cultivate it."
He joined DECA, an association founded in 1946 to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs. In this organization he engaged in competitions in public
speaking, marketing, and creating a business plan. As a high school senior he was involved in statewide competition, where he won first place in public
speaking and earned himself the opportunity to compete in national competitions representing the state of Wisconsin. During that same year he started a
school based business selling sports cards based on a business plan he developed the previous year.
After high school Riccobono arrived at the University of Wisconsin with a folding cane, a laptop computer with no screen-reading or screen-enlargement
software, and a closed circuit television to enlarge paper documents. "I had to study a lot because I read slowly and memorization was the key to any success
I might enjoy.” But even with the extreme focus he placed on academics, Riccobono hit the wall in his sophomore year and almost failed a computer class
because he had no access to the machines. Eventually his rehabilitation counselor sent him for a technology evaluation, and the use of speech and other
technology was recommended. At this point Riccobono started reaching out to other blind people, knowing that, if some of them were successful, they had
to be doing something he was not. He knew that the barriers he was facing were real and that he was making a significant effort to overcome them, but he
was learning that effort alone was not enough: he needed techniques, strategies, and building on the experiences of others. So it was that he came to find
the National Federation of the Blind, won a state scholarship, and attended the national convention in 1996. "A lot of what I heard at the convention resonated
with me—gave me real hope—but I wasn't sure it was real because I hadn't had the chance to test it myself. But whatever skepticism I had, the truth is
that my predominant emotions were excitement and hope that what these people were saying was true. For the first time in my life it was clear to me that
in this group it didn't matter how much or how little I could see. In this group no one ever asked or tried to limit where I could go. For the first time
I didn't feel as though I had to decide what I would or would not do based on my vision."
In the summer after he found the Federation, Riccobono learned Braille, started using the white cane, and came to understand that blind people used other
techniques that might help him. He immediately began testing what the Federation said about blindness and encouraged other students to do the same.

In the fall of 1996 he founded and became the first president of the Wisconsin Association of Blind Students (a division of the NFB of Wisconsin). He also
began rebuilding his dreams. He secured employment with the disability resource center on campus and coordinated the delivery of accessible materials to
other students. Riccobono also began expanding his participation in the campus community, knowing that blindness was not the thing that held him back but
rather his own low expectations learned over many years. Among his new activities Riccobono became the first blind person at the university to be certified
to independently sail one-person sail boats in the Hoofers Sailing Program on Lake Mendota.
Riccobono finished college in May of 1999 with a degree in business administration, majoring in marketing and minoring in economics. He interviewed with
Sears in his senior year of college and already had a job offer in hand when he graduated. While attending the Washington Seminar, people asked what he
intended to do between his graduation in May and the start of his new job in August. They suggested he use this time for training. Finding the advice sound,
he attended the Colorado Center for the Blind. There he worked on attitudes and skills and had a chance to test some of the Federation ideas he had thought
about with such hope. He found they had verity in his life.
After training with Sears, Riccobono moved to Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where he rented an apartment about three blocks from where he had grown up. At this
point he was feeling good about himself: a college graduate with a job, living on his own, and the recently elected president of the National Federation
of the Blind of Wisconsin, having won that post in 1998. Before his election a proposal had been advanced to close the state's school for the blind. Riccobono
was appointed to serve on an advisory committee charged with transforming the institution from a school to a center where ten programs serving the blind
would be housed, one of them being the school for the blind. Riccobono learned from the Federation that his true passion was not necessarily business (although
he exhibits the thinking of an entrepreneur in everything he does) but rather education and building innovative educational programs. When the Wisconsin
Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired was established, Riccobono was hired as its director shortly before his twenty-fourth birthday. He headed an
agency with a budget of six million dollars and began to implement programs that required more of staff and students, consistent with the expectations
of blind people he found in the Federation. He worked at the Wisconsin Center for three and a half years, and an audit ordered by the implementing legislation
gave the new center good marks and was the best the school had received in over a decade. But Riccobono found making changes at the center painfully slow
and thought that his focus on improving education would be better served by working on a national level. Having concluded that Riccobono possessed some
skills that would be valuable at the Jernigan Institute, President Maurer hired him, and he and his wife Melissa (a strong leader, advocate, and educator
in her own right) moved to Baltimore. After working for some time in education, he became the executive director of the Jernigan Institute, a position
he held until his election as the President of the National Federation of the Blind in July of 2014. In his Federation work he has led a number of critical
initiatives including: establishment of the National Center for Blind Youth in Science, building a national mentoring program, expanding Braille literacy
programs including the NFB Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning program, development of cutting-edge technologies including a car that a blind
person can drive (the NFB Blind Driver Challenge®), many advocacy priorities, affiliate-building projects, and serving as a point person for key relationships
with NFB partners.
Mark and Melissa have three children: Cynthia born in December 2006, Oriana born in May 2010, and Elizabeth born in June 2012, all of whom are growing
up in the Federation. Two of their daughters both carry the same eye condition that Mark has, but they will have greater opportunities than their dad because
of their connection to the National Federation of the Blind. With the emphasis on social media, YouTube, and communication that goes beyond the written
word, his family and their activities have been more visible than those of earlier leaders. "While as a family we draw some lines, we are generally pretty
comfortable with letting people know what we are doing, the message being that we lead normal lives and do the same things others with children do. We
try to show people what we have learned—that blindness does not prevent us from being the kind of parents we want to be and from living the lives we want."
Riccobono is always building—his social media presence frequently shows him engineering new creations out of Legos with his children.
When asked about his responsibilities as the newly elected President of the National Federation of the Blind and whether it is scary trying to fill the
shoes of former President Maurer, Riccobono says, "It isn't so much trying to fill someone's shoes as building on a foundation. It is a tremendous responsibility
to figure out how to go farther, to strengthen the movement, to lead in such a way that we go forward and build on what we have been given. My challenge
is to meet the expectations of folks who have given a lot and have been around a long time, to meet their expectations and let them know they are still
wanted, valued, and needed, while at the same time recognizing that the world is changing, that the organization must continue to evolve, and assuring
people that these requirements are not in conflict but a part of continuing to exist and thrive. I worry less about the shoes I must fill or the comparisons
that will be made than I do about figuring out how to lead us in the miles we must go, preserving the resources we have, while spending enough of them
to make the world what we want it to be. I feel grateful that Dr. Maurer recognizes my challenge—he has had to face it in his own transition and Presidency,
and I feel confident that most of our members understand this too. The nature of this office demonstrates daily just how far we have to go, and, although
we have a tremendous organization and significant resources, we have just a fraction of what we need to do the work that remains.
"In accepting the Presidency of this organization, I pledged to give all of my energy, my creativity, and my love to our movement. This is how I intend
to pay it back, pay it forward, and make a future full of opportunity for blind people. I have no illusions that this will be easy, but I have every expectation
that it will happen when all of us pull together to create the kind of future in which we truly live the lives we want."

Forms and useful documents

all registration forms are now closed

Convention agenda

The 2026 convention agenda is now available in multiple formats!

In closing

For more information, contact.
Richard Payne, Ohio President
Mobile: (937) 829-3368
Email: rchpay7@gmail.com