INTRODUCTION
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This manual is a collection of the policies and procedures approved by the Board of the American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB).  It is expected that AADB Board Members, Home Office staff, and general members will abide by these policies and follow these procedures whenever doing AADB business.  To make it easier to use the manual and find information, the sections are listed in the Table of Contents, and an Index at the end explains where to find various items.  Information that may change over time, such as dues or fees, is included in the Appendix, which will periodically be re-issued.
Policies and procedures can be added or changed whenever the Board votes to add or change them, except those items that come from the bylaws.  The sentences or phrases which come from the bylaws are all marked “(bylaws)” at the end of the sentence or phrase.  These cannot be changed by the Board; they must be changed by changing the bylaws, which requires a vote by the general AADB membership.
You might ask, “What starts the process to add or change policies or procedures in this manual?”  YOU start the process by noticing that something in the manual needs to be changed.  It doesn’t matter who you are; you can start the process even if you are not an AADB member.  If you notice that some procedure isn’t working well, or if something doesn’t seem fair, or if you have an idea to improve a policy or procedure, or if you want to add a policy or procedure that will help guide others in the future, you ask a Board Member to bring it up for the Board to discuss.  If the Board approves your suggestion, your policy or procedure change or addition will be included in the manual.