American Association of the Deaf-Blind Policy and Procedure Manual American Association of the Deaf-Blind 8630 Fenton Street, Suite 121 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Revised June 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 2.0 MEMBERSHIP 3 2.1 CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP 3 2.1.1 ACTIVE MEMBERS 4 2.1.2 ASSOCIATE MEMBERS 4 2.1.3 HONORARY MEMBERS 4 2.1.4 ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS 5 2.2 MEMBERSHIP POLICIES 5 2.3 DUES POLICIES 6 2.4 MEMBERSHIP PROCEDURES 6 2.4.1 Procedure for Awarding Honorary Membership 6 2.4.2 Procedure for Removing Membership from Disruptive Members 7 3.0 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 10 3.1 OFFICERS 10 3.1.1 President. The President shall: 10 3.1.2 Vice President. The Vice President shall: 13 3.1.3 Treasurer. The Treasurer shall: 13 3.1.4 Secretary. The Secretary shall: 14 3.2 BOARD POLICIES 15 3.2.1 Board Requirements. The Board shall: 15 3.2.2 Board Member Requirements. Board members shall: 17 3.2.3 Board General Policies: 18 3.3 BOARD PROCEDURES 19 3.3.1 Procedure for filling vacancies on the Board other than the President 19 3.3.2 Procedure for removing a Board Member other than the President 19 3.3.3 Procedure for removing the President 20 4.0 MEETINGS 22 4.1 MEETING POLICIES 22 4.1.1 Parliamentary Procedure 22 4.1.2 Policies on Meeting Minutes 22 4.2 BUSINESS MEETINGS OF THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP 23 4.3 BOARD MEETINGS 24 4.4 REGIONAL MEETINGS 25 4.5 MEETING PROCEDURES 25 4.5.1 Procedure for Recording Minutes by Consensus 25 4.5.2 Procedure for Removing Disruptive Members 26 4.5.3 Procedure for Preparing for a Board Meeting 26 4.5.4 Procedure for Passing Motions Between Board Members 29 5.0 FISCAL 33 5.1 FISCAL POLICIES 33 5.1.1 General Policies 33 5.1.2 Policies Regarding Reallocating Funds and Unexpected Expenditures 34 5.1.3 Financial Report Policies 35 5.1.4 Reimbursement Policies 35 5.1.5 Fundraising Policies 36 5.1.6 Policy related to Accepting Honorarium 37 5.1.7 Fiscal Policy Relating to Bequests 37 5.2 FISCAL PROCEDURES 37 5.2.1 Procedure for Developing the Budget 37 5.2.2 Procedure for Board Approval of Reallocation and Unbudgeted Expenditures 38 5.2.3 Procedure for Reimbursement 38 5.2.4 Procedure for Expenditures 39 6.0 COMMITTEES 40 6.1 COMMITTEE POLICIES 40 6.2 STANDING COMMITTEES 41 6.2.1 Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall: 41 6.2.2 Law Committee. The Law Committee shall: 42 6.2.3 Policy Committee. The Policy Committee shall: 42 6.2.4 Home Office Committee. The Home Office Committee shall: 43 6.2.5 Multimedia Committee. The Multimedia Committee shall: 43 6.2.6 Award Committee. 44 6.3 COMMITTEE PROCEDURES 45 6.3.1 Procedure for Nominations and Elections 45 6.3.2 Procedure for Election 46 6.3.3 Procedure for Revising the Policy and Procedure Manual 52 7.0 SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDERS 53 7.1 GENERAL POLICES FOR SSPs 53 7.2 POLICIES REGARDING SSPS AND BOARD MEETINGS 53 7.3 POLICIES REGARDING SSPS AT AADB CONFERENCES 54 7.4 SSP COORDINATOR 55 8.0 DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN 56 8.1 POLICY FOR MEDIA REQUIREMENTS 56 8.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE DBA MAGAZINE 57 8.3 CONTENTS OF EACH ISSUE 58 8.4 ARTICLES REQUIRED IN SPECIFIC ISSUES 59 8.5 THE DBA COVER 60 8.6 DBA POLICIES 60 8.7 THE EDITOR 61 8.8 COPYRIGHT POLICIES 62 8.8.1 Policies related to the DBA and E-News 62 8.8.2 Policies related to reprinting articles from other publications 62 8.8.3 Policies related to reprinting personal writings 63 8.8.4 Policies related to informational matters 64 8.8.5 Photographs & Artwork 66 8.8.6 Websites 67 8.8.7 Personal Writings 68 8.8.8 Other Websites 68 8.8.9 Copyright Information 68 9.0 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION 69 9.1 AWARDS 69 * Laura D. Bridgman 69 * John J. Murphy Memorial Award 69 * Peter J. Salmon Memorial Award 70 * AADB 70 9.2 AWARDS POLICIES 70 9.3 AWARDS PROCEDURES 71 9.3.1 Procedure for Selecting Award Recipients 71 10.0 CONFERENCES 73 10.1 CONFERENCE POLICIES 73 10.2 POLICIES FOR CHILDREN AT CONFERENCES 73 10.3 POLICIES RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES AT AADB CONFERENCES 75 11.0 MISCELLANEOUS 76 11.1 LOGO POLICIES 76 11.2 WEB SITE POLICIES 76 11.3 CRISIS MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE 76 12.0 PROGRAM MANAGER AND HOME OFFICE 77 12.1 DUTIES OF THE PROGRAM MANAGER 77 12.2 PREPARING FOR A BOARD MEETING 78 12.3 HANDLING REIMBURSEMENTS 79 12.4 MAINTAINING AND PROVIDING FINANCIAL RECORDS 79 12.5 HELP PREPARING BUDGETS 80 12.6 PREPARING FOR ELECTIONS 80 12.7 DISTRUBUTING MATERIALS 81 12.8 MISCELLANEOUS 82 12.9 PROCEDURE IF PROGRAM MANAGER POSITION BECOMES VACANT 82 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. MEMBERSHIP 2.0 MEMBERSHIP This section deals with membership policies and procedures under the following topics: * Categories of Membership * Membership Policies * Dues Policies * Membership Procedures 2.1 CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP Within the various categories of membership, some members are designated as International Members. The categories of membership are as follows: * Active Member * Associate Member * Honorary Member * Organizational Member 2.1.1 ACTIVE MEMBERS Active Members are deaf-blind USA citizens or permanent residents who have paid their dues (bylaws). They can make motions and vote, they can serve on committees, and they can hold office in AADB (bylaws). 2.1.2 ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Associate Members are not deaf-blind, and they are USA citizens or permanent residents who have paid their dues (bylaws). They may not vote, but they may serve on committees. They may serve on the Board as Secretary or Treasurer, but they may not hold any other office or Board position in AADB (bylaws). 2.1.3 HONORARY MEMBERS Honorary Member status shall be awarded to individuals who have done outstanding work in the field of deaf-blindness (bylaws). Honorary Membership is a lifetime membership. The Board may award Honorary Membership to deserving individuals at any time. Honorary Members may not hold office but they may serve on committees (bylaws). Honorary Members who are deaf-blind may vote; Honorary Members who are not deaf-blind may not vote (bylaws). Honorary Members who wish to hold office may change to a status of Active Member or Associate Member for a period of time by paying the current dues for that period of time. The procedure for awarding Honorary Membership is stated below in Section 2.4.1 on page 6. 2.1.4 ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS Organizational Members are nonprofit organizations that promote the betterment of Deaf-Blind people (bylaws). They must pay their dues (bylaws). They may not vote, and they may not hold any AADB offices (bylaws). For-profit businesses and organizations can become “AADB Supporters” and receive AADB publications for an annual payment of the same amount as is charged for dues for Organizational Members in accordance with the Table of Membership Dues provided in Appendix A, below at the end of this manual. 2.2 MEMBERSHIP POLICIES * All members shall receive the DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN publication and all other AADB mailings (bylaws). * No one shall be denied membership in the Association because of age, sex, race, religion, national origin, or disability (bylaws). * AADB keeps an updated database of members and SSPs, including: * communications preferences; * special needs of the deaf-blind members; * communications skills of the SSPs. * If a member is disruptive or abusive, AADB may remove membership privileges for this member for one year (bylaws). Section 2.4.2, below on page 7, provides the procedure for removal, from membership, of a disruptive or abusive member. 2.3 DUES POLICIES * Annual dues are as shown in the Table of Membership Dues that follows below in Appendix A. Honorary Members do not pay dues. * Annual dues to renew membership are due on the anniversary month of joining AADB. * If a member fails to pay their dues within one month of the due date, membership is terminated and the name of the lapsed member is removed from the membership mailing lists. 2.4 MEMBERSHIP PROCEDURES 2.4.1 Procedure for Awarding Honorary Membership > Members nominate individuals for Honorary Membership by submitting the person’s name and the reasons for his or her nomination to the Chair of the Awards Committee. This may be done at any time. > The Awards Committee will review the nomination and make recommendations to the Board. > The Board will review the recommendation and may approve the nomination with a majority vote. > The President shall send a letter to the nominee explaining that AADB has awarded an Honorary Membership to him or her. > This decision will then be announced in the DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN and during the award presentations at the next conference. 2.4.2 Procedure for Removing Membership from Disruptive Members > Within 20 days of the alleged disruptive incident, the President will appoint a temporary Review Committee of three members to review the matter. The Review Committee may review the matter either at a meeting with the accused member or through written documents and correspondence. > If the Review Committee considers the matter at a meeting, the accused member will be presented with evidence or testimony concerning the disruptive behavior, and will be allowed to respond and provide evidence or testimony from others if desired. The Review Committee will then adjourn for a private discussion and render its decision. > If the Review Committee handles the review using written documents and correspondence, it will do the following: o The Review Committee will request an explanation from whoever has accused the member of being disruptive. The request must be made within 30 days of the incident or the matter will be dropped. o The explanation from the accuser may be accompanied by corroborating information or evidence from others, if appropriate. The accuser must submit the explanation and corroboration to the Committee within 30 days of the request or the matter will be dropped. o The Review Committee will present this accusation and corroboration to the accused member in a format appropriate for him or her. The accused member will have 30 days to respond, and may submit corroborating information or evidence provided by others, if desired. o The Review Committee will render its decision within 15 days of receiving the response of the accused member. > Regardless of whether the Review Committee works through a meeting or through correspondence, it will review the accusation, the response, and corroborating information and decide whether to suspend membership of the accused for up to one year and if so, how long the membership will be suspended. The Review Committee will announce its decision to the President, to the accused member, and the Home Office. > If the membership of the accused is suspended, no dues are reimbursed for the remainder of the term of his or her membership. The suspended member may reapply for membership at the end of the term of the suspension. BOARD OF DIRECTORS 3.0 BOARD OF DIRECTORS The American Association of the Deaf-Blind is governed by a Board of Directors. This section deals with Board policies and procedures under the following topics: * Officers * Board Policies * Board Procedures 3.1 OFFICERS 3.1.1 President. The President shall: * preside at all meetings of the general membership and of the Board; * process motions submitted by Board Members electronically, following the procedure provided in Section 4.5.4, below on page 29, stating the procedure for making and passing motions; * set the agenda for all meetings in cooperation with the Vice President by following the procedure provided in Section 4.5.3, below on page 26, stating the procedure for preparing for a Board Meeting; * chair the Executive Committee; * serve as ex-officio member of all AADB committees; * appoint the Secretary and the Treasurer, with the approval of the Board (bylaws); * appoint the Election Committee, with the approval of the Board (bylaws) no later than December 31 prior to an election year; * appoint special committees as needed, with the approval of the Board; * appoint the chair of each standing committee (bylaws) and each ad hoc committee, with the approval of the Board; * work with the chair of each committee to develop goals and a work plan for the committee; * encourage and support officers and committee chairpersons to carry out the responsibilities associated with their positions; * supervise and direct the activities of the Program Manager in accordance with the policies of the Board; * provide to the Board a written evaluation of the Program Manager’s performance; * serve as spokesperson or representative for AADB as needed, with guidance from the Board, or appoint the Vice President or other officers or members of the Board to do so; * write articles for the President’s column of the DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN; * announce the dates and places for AADB business meetings at the opening ceremony at the national conference (bylaws); * announce the winners of the election by June 1 of the year of the election (bylaws), informing the candidates, board members, Editor, Home Office, and listservs; * announce the date and location of national conferences, with the approval of the Board, in the DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN publication and/or by mail (bylaws); * maintain a file on the areas of expertise of all Board Members and, if the Program Manager position becomes vacant, follow the procedure outlined in Section 12.9, below on page 82; * communicate with the Vice President so that he or she may be adequately prepared to assume the responsibilities of the President if needed. 3.1.2 Vice President. The Vice President shall: * serve as a member of the Board and the Executive Committee; * serve as an assistant to the President and be informed of the actions taken by the President; * in the absence of the President, preside at meetings of the general membership of the Board, and process motions submitted by Board Members electronically; * succeed to the office of President if that position becomes vacant; * work with the President to develop agendas for meetings of the Board and of the general membership; * do special projects as assigned by the President; * serve as a spokesperson or representative for AADB as needed when assigned by the President. 3.1.3 Treasurer. The Treasurer shall: * serve as a member of the Board and the Executive Committee; * chair the Finance Committee; * report on AADB’s financial status at all Board meetings and general membership meetings; * send a quarterly financial report to the Board; * review financial reports and determine whether they are correct; * ensure that reports are prepared in accordance with recognized accounting principles; * ensure that expenditures are within the limits outlined in the budget or approved by the Board; * ensure that revenues are as expected in the budget; * alert the Finance Committee and the Board about financial concerns (such as revenues significantly lower than expected, expenditures higher than allowed in the budget, or situations which may ultimately affect AADB finances, etc.). 3.1.4 Secretary. The Secretary shall: * serve as a member of the Board and the Executive Committee; * record the minutes of Board meetings and general business meetings, see that they are properly reviewed and corrected as necessary, and officially approved as the formal record of AADB’s meetings as detailed in Section 4.5.1, below on page 25; * record approved electronic motions in the minutes of the next face-to-face Board meeting; * maintain updated copies of the AADB Bylaws and the AADB Policy and Procedure Manual; * maintain an updated list of the current committee chairs and members; * conduct the roll call at Board meetings; * conduct the roll call of the states and the District of Columbia at the general session of the conference, if such is included in the program. 3.2 BOARD POLICIES The Board is chaired by the President and is comprised of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and eight (8) other Board Members. The Secretary and Treasurer must be either Active or Associate Members, and all other Board Members must be Active Members (bylaws). 3.2.1 Board Requirements. The Board shall: * meet two (2) to four (4) times a year, meet as often as needed during the national conferences (bylaws) and call special meetings when needed; * review the draft of the budget, make revisions as necessary, and approve a final draft; * approve any expenditures that were not budgeted or that are more than $200 over the budgeted amount or more than 10% over the budgeted amount (whichever is less); * have general control of the affairs of AADB between conferences and carry out the mandates of the membership (bylaws); * develop and implement programs and policies, make rules and regulations, and conduct the business of AADB; * provide ways and means for financing AADB; * approve contracts, legal papers and documents; * keep the membership informed of issues facing the Board and solicit and share membership input of such issues; * establish special committees as necessary, for a term to be determined by the Board; * on request, recommend members for the President to consider for various committees; * review committee’s monthly reports; * approve the wording of ballots for any special membership votes on issues of importance; * fill vacancies which occur between elections among Board Members or officers other than the President (if the position of President becomes vacant, it is filled by the Vice President) (bylaws). 3.2.2 Board Member Requirements. Board members shall: * attend Board meetings and participate in discussion and vote on issues; * communicate with and seek input from appropriate committees and members, where possible, before making decisions; * project themselves as leaders in the Deaf-Blind community; * upon taking office, send a description of their needs concerning communication, accessibility, and other needs to the Program Manager, and update the Program Manager if those needs change. Included in this description will be: * the preferred format for reading documents and correspondence; * e-mail accessibility; * communication needs for meetings; * special needs concerning physical accessibility, dietary needs, etc.; * receive a Board Handbook from the Home Office at the beginning of their first term. The Handbook will contain a copy of the Policy and Procedure Manual; the minutes of the last board meeting; contact information for Home Office, Board members and Committee chairs; and any other documents and information that will help acquaint the Board Member with AADB and Board responsibilities. 3.2.3 Board General Policies * AADB will reimburse travel expenses, hotel, and meals for Board Members and their SSPs while attending Board meetings. Section 5.2.3, below on page 38, provides the procedure for reimbursement. * Resignations of Board Members must be submitted in writing to the President or to the Secretary (bylaws). * Board Members whose membership expires will be notified that, if they don’t pay their dues, they will be removed from the Board. If they do not pay their dues within one month of the notification, they will be removed from the Board. * Board Members may be removed for failure to carry out duties, or for other good and sufficient reason, by a 2/3 vote of the Board (bylaws). 3.3 BOARD PROCEDURES 3.3.1 Procedure for filling vacancies on the Board other than the President > The President will make a request to the Board for suggestions for a person to fill the vacancy. > The President will select a candidate to fill the vacancy, obtain his or her consent to serve if approved, and verify his or her membership and his or her citizenship or residency status. > The Board can approve the candidate with a majority vote. If the Board does not approve the candidate, the President will select another qualified, consenting candidate to present to the Board for approval. 3.3.2 Procedure for removing a Board Member other than the President > The President and, if appropriate, others will communicate with the Board Member in question to explain the grievance and state the areas needing improvement. > If there is no significant improvement, a letter will be sent to the Board Member stating that proceedings have started to remove him or her from the Board. > After being notified, the Board Member will have thirty (30) days in which to respond and explain the situation. At the end of thirty (30) days, the Board will vote and decide whether to remove the Board Member. The vote to remove the Board Member can be done in person or by using the procedure for making and passing motions between Board meetings through electronic voting. Section 4.5.4,on page 29 below, states the procedure for making and passing motions. > The Board Member will be removed if eight (8) Members (2/3 of the Members of the full Board) vote for removal. > Upon removal, the Board Member will be asked to return all AADB property. The Board Member’s AADB membership will not be affected by the removal. 3.3.3 Procedure for removing the President > If any Board Members feel that the President is not carrying out the duties or for some sufficient reason needs to be removed, they will communicate with the President to explain the grievance and state the areas that they feel need improvement. > If there is no significant improvement, the Board Members will call for a meeting chaired by the Vice President to consider the matter, and vote whether to proceed with removing the President. > If 2/3 of those Board Members who vote agree to proceed with removal, the President will have 30 days in which to respond and explain the situation. At the end of 30 days, the Board will vote and decide whether to remove the President. The vote to remove the President can be done in person or by using the procedure for making and passing motions between Board meetings through electronic voting. See Section 4.5.4 on page 29 below. > The President will be removed if 8 Board Members (2/3 of the members of the full Board) vote for removal. > Upon removal, the President will be asked to return all AADB property. The President’s AADB membership will not be affected by the removal. MEETINGS 4.0 MEETINGS The American Association of the Deaf-Blind holds periodic meetings. This section deals with meetings policies and procedures under the following topics: * Meeting related policies * Business meetings of the general membership * Board meetings * Regional meetings * Meeting related procedures 4.1 MEETING POLICIES 4.1.1 Parliamentary Procedure Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised shall be the basis for settling all questions not accounted for in this Policy and Procedures Manual (bylaws). 4.1.2 Policies on Meeting Minutes * In the minutes, each motion will have the symbol *** before it. If there is discussion and/or amendments recorded before the vote is reported, the final form of the motion will be repeated in a new paragraph that starts with the symbol *** and the paragraph will report whether the motion passed. * Electronic motions which pass will be reported in the minutes of the next face-to-face meeting including the names of the people who made and seconded the motion, the motion, and the date it was passed. * Because misunderstandings and interpreter errors can occur during Board meetings, the meetings for AADB Board meetings will be “minutes by consensus,” which means that what is officially recorded in the minutes will be that which the majority of members approve. Section 4.5.1 2 on page 25 below, provides a procedure for recording minutes by consensus. 4.2 BUSINESS MEETINGS OF THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP From time to time there will be business meetings of the general members. The following policies shall prevail at those meetings: * Dates and places for AADB business meetings shall be published in the national conference program books and announced by the President at the opening ceremony at the national conference (bylaws); * The business meeting will be run by the President; * Quorum at business meetings is a least 50 Active Members (bylaws); * AADB can remove members who are disruptive or abusive from meetings (bylaws). Section 4.5.2 on page 26 below, provides the procedure for removing disruptive members. 4.3 BOARD MEETINGS From time to time there will be Board Meetings. The following policies shall prevail at those meetings: * Board Members shall meet two (2) to four (4) times a year, and shall meet as often as needed during the national conferences (bylaws); * quorum for Board Meetings is at least eight (8) members (bylaws); * travel expenses, hotel and meals are reimbursed for Board Members and their SSPs attending the Board Meeting. Section 5.2.3, below on page 38 , provides the procedure for reimbursement. * a Board Meeting is run using parliamentary procedures unless the President specifies differently and the Board agrees; * Section 4.5.3 on page 26 below, provides the procedure for preparing for a Board Meeting. 4.4 REGIONAL MEETINGS Regional meetings may take place any time between national conferences. The regions shall be responsible for their own program and meeting agenda (bylaws). 4.5 MEETING PROCEDURES 4.5.1 Procedure for Recording Minutes by Consensus > The Secretary will take notes during the meeting and write a draft of the minutes; > As soon as possible after the meeting, (preferably within a week, while people still remember what happened), the Secretary will send a draft of the minutes to all members who were in attendance, asking them to check for accuracy, especially for anything that is reported as being said by them; > Within 2 weeks of receiving the draft of the minutes, members will send, to the Secretary, a list of all statements which they think are inaccurate; > The Secretary will send a copy of all the proposed corrections to the other members who were present, asking if anyone disagrees with any of the corrections; > If there is disagreement about any statement in the minutes, the Secretary will ask the other members to recall what they remember happened, and will accept the consensus of the majority of members who respond; > The Secretary will incorporate the corrections into the draft of the minutes and send the corrected minutes to the Home Office to send to all Board Members in their preferred format. 4.5.2 Procedure for Removing Disruptive Members > If someone disrupts the meeting (for example interrupts constantly, refuses to sit down when the President says “Out of Order”, etc.), the President will warn that he or she will be asked to leave the room if the disruption continues. > If the person continues to be disruptive after the warning, the President will order the person to leave and not come back for the remainder of the meeting. 4.5.3 Procedure for Preparing for a Board Meeting > The President asks Board Members for available dates and chooses a date on which a quorum of Board Members will be able to attend. > The President and Program Manager investigate and choose a meeting site, and the Program Manager makes arrangements for the meeting room, lodging, and meals. > At least thirty (30) days before the scheduled meeting, Board Members inform the Program Manager whether they are coming and whether they require lodging. At least two (2) weeks before the meeting, they inform the Program Manager and the SSP Coordinator whether they are bringing an SSP and tell the Program Manager whether the SSP will need lodging. > The Board Members arrange for transportation to the meeting, and save all documentation including mileage, receipts for air and ground transportation, parking, etc. > Board Members who need SSPs are each encouraged to bring one SSP to serve at the Board Meeting. Section 7.2, below on page 53, details policies regarding SSPs and Board Meetings. The Board Member is responsible to pass on information to the accompanying SSP regarding hotel location, agenda, travel arrangements, reimbursement process, and anything else related to their job as SSP at the Board Meeting. > The President selects an SSP Coordinator to arrange for and coordinate SSPs and interpreters for the Board Meeting. The SSP Coordinator is usually local to the meeting site. > The SSP Coordinator contacts Board Members who explain their communication needs and whether they will bring an SSP for the meeting. > The President develops a tentative agenda in cooperation with the Vice President and arranges to have it sent or e-mailed to the Board Members in their preferred formats at least two (2) weeks prior to the Board Meeting. At the same time, any available reports and documents which the Board will review at the meeting are sent or e-mailed to the Board Members in their preferred formats. > The Board Members review the agenda and prepare accordingly, and contact the President if they need to add anything to the agenda. > The Board Members, Committee Chairs, Program Manager, and others who have reports or documents for the Board to review must send them to the Program Manager at least one week in advance of the meeting. The Program Manager will provide copies of each report and document at the meeting in the appropriate format for each Board Member. > The President, in cooperation with the Vice President, develops a revised agenda which is provided to the Board Members in their preferred format upon their arrival at the hotel or at the meeting. > The Program Manager makes arrangements for the meeting room to be set up to facilitate maximum communication. This includes: * covering the front table and wall behind the front table with black; * setting up enough chairs for Board Members and SSPs; * setting up any tables and equipment needed by the Board Members for communication including FM systems, refreshable Braille or large print TTY displays, microphones, etc; > When the meeting begins, the Board will review the agenda, make revisions as needed, and approve the final agenda before the meeting proceeds. > The Program Manager will provide the Board Members and SSPs with reimbursement information and instructions. Section 5.2.3 below on page 38, provides the normal procedures for reimbursement. > The President may conduct official electronic Board Meetings at any time if all Board Members agree to it and have access to computers (bylaws). 4.5.4 Procedure for Passing Motions Between Board Members > Board Members (including the President) may submit formal motions at any time by sending the motion in a private message to the President with a copy to the Secretary. > If several motions are submitted, the President shall prioritize them according to complexities and urgencies, and post one motion at a time. > Before posting the motion, the President shall work out the language of the motion, with approval of the person who made the motion. > The President shall then post the motion to all Board Members in an e-mail message with the subject “AADB Motion”. > Within ten (10) days of posting the motion, the motion must be formally seconded and a quorum must be reached or the motion will be declared dead and no vote may be taken on the motion. > Second: Any Board Member (other than the maker of the motion) can second the motion by sending a message to that effect to the President, with copies going to all other Board Members. > Quorum: When the President posts the motion, all Board Members shall notify the President that they have seen the motion. In order to meet the quorum, eight (8) Board Members are required to notify that they have seen the motion. > As soon as a second and a quorum are both made (if they are done within ten (10) days of posting the motion), the President shall announce the beginning of a fourteen (14) day discussion period to discuss the motion, beginning immediately. No one is allowed to move to close discussion of the motion before the end of this discussion period (however, the motion can be expedited if needed, as explained below on page 32). > Amendments: During the period of discussion, friendly amendments can be added to a motion only if they are accepted by the Board Members who made and seconded the motion. Due to time constraints, no amendments can be added to e-mail motions unless they are friendly amendments. > At the end of the 14-day discussion period, Board Members may vote on the motion. Votes may be submitted any time within 7 days after the end of the discussion period. Members direct their vote to the President with copies to all Board Members. > At least eight (8) Board Members must vote on the motion within the seven (7) day voting period or it will be considered dead. If a majority of those who vote are in favor of the motion, the motion will be approved (passed). > If the motion is approved, the President shall send a message to all Board Members announcing that the motion has passed, and the Secretary shall record the motion and its date of approval in the minutes of the next face-to-face Board Meeting. > Special Attention: At times it may be desirable to expedite the electronic voting procedure because either the motion has no conflict, or a decision must be made fast. This can be done if at least ten (10) Board Members send to the President a special message. Board Members may send this special message at any time after the motion is announced. This special message must indicate the following three (3) things: * I have seen the motion to (state the motion). * I hereby waive the fourteen (14) day required discussion period for this motion. * I vote “yes” (or “no”) on the motion. > If the president or the person who made the motion feels that the motion is time urgent, this can be indicated to the Board Members when the motion is sent by inserting the word “urgent” into the title (“Urgent AADB Motion”); explaining in the message that the motion is urgent and why; explaining how the Board Members can waive the discussion period; and, explaining that they are not required to do so. FISCAL 5.0 FISCAL The American Association of the Deaf-Blind fiscal policies and procedures are discussed in this section under the following topics: * Fiscal Policies * Fiscal Procedures 5.1 FISCAL POLICIES 5.1.1 General Policies * The fiscal year for AADB covers the period from January 1 to December 31. * Regular expenditures of AADB shall be made in accordance with a budget prepared by the Finance Committee and approved by the Board (bylaws). * The Executive Director develops the budget in consultation with the Finance Committee. * The approved budget will be published in each January-March issue of the DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN (deadline is November 15). * Non-budget expenditures must be approved by the Board (bylaws). * Expenditures that are greater than $3000 or more than 10 percent over a budgeted line item (whichever is less) must be approved by the Board. * Purchases of items costing over $500 will require at least 3 price quotes or actual cost. The lowest bidder or price will be used unless the quality of service or product is superior at the higher cost, or if the less expensive sources for the service or product are not currently available. This shall be documented. (Applies to equipment and services, including interpreters – does not apply to travel). 5.1.2 Policies Regarding Reallocating Funds and Unexpected Expenditures * The Program Manager may reallocate funds from one line item to another if the amount differs from its previously approved level by no more than $200 or 10 percent (whichever is less). * Non-budgeted expenditures, and expenditures which are more than $200 over the budgeted amount or more than 10 percent over the budgeted amount (whichever is less), each require approval of the Board. 5.1.3 Financial Report Policies * The full budget should go to the Board two weeks in advance of the meeting for approval. * A summary of the report will be provided during the general business meeting. * Financial reports will display in separate columns: o expenditures and revenues by line item categories; o the approved budget by line item categories; o the percentage of expenditures and revenue compared to budget to date. * The form 990 is available to the general public upon request. 5.1.4 Reimbursement Policies * The expenses of Board Members, committee members, staff and any other designated representatives of AADB, as well as those of their SSPs, shall be reimbursed when traveling to meetings of the Board or committees, or when officially representing AADB at other events. Section 5.2.3 below page 38, provides the procedure for reimbursement. * Reimbursement shall include: the cost of transportation (including parking) or mileage at the per mile rate approved by the US Internal Revenue Service; hotel; and per diem to cover food expenses at a rate of $6.50 for breakfast, $8.50 for lunch, and $20.00 for dinner. * Reimbursed travel must be booked for the least expensive fares available. If airfare is more than $300, the traveler must check with the AADB office before booking. * If Board Members, committee members, staff and any other designated representatives of AADB bring their spouse or friend to AADB meetings, AADB will pay only 1/2 of their hotel room. * Whenever Board or committee meetings are held in conjunction with the AADB conference, reimbursement will not be available for Board or committee members. This is based on the presumption that leaders and active members of AADB would be at such conferences already. 5.1.5 Fundraising Policies AADB shall use fundraising strategies and companies that are in compliance with guidelines set forth by the Better Business Bureau. 5.1.6 Policy on accepting honorarium * If an agency/organization contacts an individual Board member directly to make a presentation, the person can accept honorarium if the individual is not representing AADB * If an agency contacts AADB and requests a representative from AADB, the honorarium would go to AADB as a donation. 5.1.7 Policy on accepting bequests Any bequest or unanticipated contribution to AADB which is not otherwise designated shall be placed in a special fund until such time as the Finance Committee and the Board shall designate how the money is to be used. 5.2 FISCAL PROCEDURES 5.2.1 Procedure for Developing the Budget > The Executive Director will develop a proposed budget for the following year by at least 2 weeks prior to the fall financial committee meeting. The budget will be given to the Finance Committee for their review and feedback. > The Finance Committee will submit the proposed budget and financial recommendations to the Board, along with any justifications for significant changes in the budget, 2 weeks prior to the Fall Board meeting. > The Board will review the proposed budget, make any revisions it feels are necessary, and approve the final draft of the budget by December 31 of the year prior to the budget year. > Authority for signing transactions: o The Executive Director, the President and the Treasurer are authorized to sign any financial transactions on behalf of AADB. o Any expenditure above $7,000.00 on a check requires 2 signatures. 5.2.2 Procedure for Board Approval of Reallocation and Unbudgeted Expenditures Any requests for unbudgeted expenditures must go through the President for approval by the Board. 5.2.3 Procedure for Reimbursement > All requests for reimbursement shall be sent to the AADB Office, using a form if one has been provided. All expenditures except per diem reimbursement for food require a receipt for reimbursement. > Section 5.2.2 above, provides the procedure for Board approval of reallocation and unbudgeted expenses. 5.2.4 Procedure for Expenditures > The Program Manager shall issue disbursements only for expenditures which are within $200 or 10 percent of the budgeted expense (whichever is less) or which have been approved by the Board. Section 5.2.2 above on page 38, provides the procedure for Board approval of reallocation and unbudgeted expenses. > The Program Manager will record each expenditure in the accounting system, coded to the appropriate budget category, and will support all disbursements with invoice, timesheet or other documentation. > The Executive Director shall inform the President and Treasurer of any expense line item(s) that are $3,000 or 100 percent (whichever is less) over the approved budget. This report shall be made by December 1 of the budget year. The President shall seek the Board’s approval on or before December 15 of the budget year. > The Executive Director shall inform the President and Treasurer if the total expenses for the budget year are expected to be over the proposed budget. This report shall be made by December 1 of the budget year. The President shall seek the Board’s approval on or before December 15 of the budget year. COMMITTEES 6.0 COMMITTEES This section deals with committee policies and procedures under the following topics: * Committee Policies * Standing Committees * Committee Procedures 6.1 COMMITTEE POLICIES * The President will appoint the chair of each committee, with the approval of the Board (bylaws). * The Chair of each committee will select the members of that committee (bylaws). The members of each committee will include at least one Board Member and at least one non-Board member (bylaws). * Ad hoc committees can be established by the Board or by the President. * Committees will each send a report to the Board monthly. * To complete their projects, each committee will work with and get assistance from the Home Office as needed and can assign subcommittees to focus on particular projects. * An Election Committee is appointed by the President with, approval of the Board, (bylaws) no later than December 31 before the election year. 6.2 STANDING COMMITTEES The standing committees of the AADB shall be: * Executive Committee (bylaws) * Finance Committee (bylaws) * Law Committee (bylaws) * Policy Committee (bylaws) * Support Service Provider Committee (bylaws) * Home Office Committee (bylaws) * Multimedia Committee (bylaws) * Award Committee 6.2.1 Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall: * be chaired by the Treasurer; * work with the Program Manager to develop a budget for consideration by the Board, and suggest revisions to the approved budget as needed throughout the year. Section 5.2.1, above on page 37, provides the procedure for developing the budget; * review and provide guidance in developing policies for banking, budget, investment, and fundraising and make recommendations to the Board, using outside advice and expertise as appropriate; * consult with a professional financial consultant as needed; * seek out and evaluate potential sources of funding, and recommend such sources to the Board; * monitor the implementation of contracts regarding fundraising and other financial issues to determine whether all parties are complying with the provisions of the contracts. 6.2.2 Law Committee. The Law Committee shall: * review and propose revisions to the bylaws as needed; * update the AADB Policy and Procedure Manual. 6.2.3 Policy Committee. The Policy Committee shall: * follow legislative and policy issues that may affect deaf-blind people, and update the membership on those issues through the DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN and/or other media; * review issues about which AADB may take a position or advocate; recommend action to the Board, if appropriate; and follow through with actions plans if approved; * advocate on issues as directed by the Board. 6.2.4 Home Office Committee. The Home Office Committee shall: * develop and revise the AADB Employee Handbook, with Board approval; * review and revise job descriptions for AADB employees, with Board approval; * review AADB employees’ requests for salary raises, leave benefits, etc., and make recommendations to the Board for approval; * handle any other issues related to the Home Office. 6.2.5 Multimedia Committee. The Multimedia Committee shall: * develop materials for public relations and dissemination purposes, such as brochures, website, fundraising scripts, etc; * serve as a resource for issues of accessibility of AADB publications, materials, and web site; and be consulted by AADB committees, Home Office, etc. before they publish or produce material; * work on media, publicity, promotional, advocacy, or educational projects assigned by the President or the Board. 6.2.6 Awards Committee. Members of the Awards Committee must be Active Members of AADB. The Committee should include members from the northeast, northwest, southwest, and southeast areas of the United States. The Awards Committee shall: * select and recommend to the Board the award recipients of the following awards, and arrange for their presentation, following the procedures provided in Section 9.3.1, below on page 71. * Laura D. Bridgman Memorial Award * John J. Murphy Memorial Award * Peter J. Salmon Memorial Award * AADB Special Service Award * review nominations for Honorary Membership and make recommendations to the Board as provided in Section 2.4.1, above on page 6; * carry out any tasks of recognition, honor, or awards as assigned by the Board. 6.3 COMMITTEE PROCEDURES 6.3.1 Procedure for Nominations and Elections > The President and Vice President shall run as a team for election (bylaws). > The election of President and Vice President shall take place every 4 years, effective the year 2001 (bylaws). > The Secretary and Treasurer are appointed by the President with the approval of the Board (bylaws); they must have adequate skills appropriate to the office (bylaws). > The remaining eight (8) Board Members will be elected every four (4) years effective the year 2003 (bylaws). > Candidates for President and Vice President must be citizens of the USA; all other members of the Board must be either citizens or permanent residents of the USA (bylaws). > Candidates for all officers and Board Members, except the Treasurer and Secretary, must have been Active Members for at least twelve months before the election ballots are counted; the Secretary and Treasurer must have been Active or Associate Members for at least twelve months before being appointed (bylaws). > Officers and Board Members can serve no more than two (2) consecutive 4-year terms (bylaws). > Officers and Board Members shall assume their respective duties effective July 1 of the year they were elected or appointed (bylaws). > Candidates for officers and Board Members must submit in writing to the Home Office their intention to run by December 31 in the year prior to the election (bylaws). Candidates whose letters of intention are postmarked after December 31 shall not be eligible to run (bylaws). 6.3.2 Procedure for Elections > An announcement inviting members to become candidates will be published in the July-September and October-December issues of the DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN (deadlines are May 15 and August 15). The announcement will explain that: o candidates must submit a written letter of intention; a short bio; and proof of citizenship or residency by December 31; o in order to serve on the Board, candidates must have been an AADB member for at least a year prior to beginning their term; o U.S. citizenship is required to run for office, and U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required to run for the Board; o the candidate must send a copy of current government-issued ID, birth certificate, passport or naturalization card/paper as proof of citizenship or residency to the Home Office by December 31. > The President appoints Election Committee members with the Board’s approval (bylaws) no later than December 31 before the election year. The Election Committee shall be comprised of an Active Member, an Associate Member, and a representative of an outside agency (bylaws). The members of the Election Committee shall not run for any AADB office or position (bylaws). > The Home Office checks the membership status and verifies the citizenship/residency status of the candidates running for office or the Board and prepares a ballot with the names of all qualified candidates. > The ballots with the candidates’ bios will be mailed to all Active Members in good standing by March 1 (bylaws). The Home Office will: o assign a number to each Active Member; o send a ballot in large print or Braille to each Active Member by March 1 using first-class postage; o include with each ballot an explanation of how to return the ballots, and a return-addressed envelope with the member’s assigned number on the envelope. > Member must return the ballots to the Home Office postmarked by May 1 in order to be officially counted (bylaws). Their ballots should be in a sealed envelope affixed with a regular postage stamp. > The Home Office shall not open the ballots when they are received, but shall send them in their sealed envelopes to the Election Committee by May 7 along with the membership list with assigned numbers and contact information, and the President’s e-mail address, fax number, and phone number. > The Election Committee shall: o count the ballot envelopes twice by marking off the envelopes against the membership list with their assigned numbers; o place all envelopes postmarked after May 1 in the “disqualified ballots” pile; o open the envelopes and place in the “disqualified ballots” pile any ballots that have more than 8 votes for Board Member candidates and/or more than one vote for the President/Vice President team; o place in “Disqualified Ballots” pile any ballot which has votes that are not clearly marked next to the candidate’s name; o have each Committee Member count the qualified ballots and record the number. When the recorded number of votes for each candidate match for all three (3) Committee Members, these results will be declared final count; o send to the President (bylaws) by May 28 the names of all the winning candidates and the number of votes each received; o send to the Home Office all the ballots (both qualified and disqualified) and a report that includes: * Signatures of each Election Committee Member * The date that the ballots were received from the Home Office * The date that the Election Committee checked, sorted, and counted the ballots * The dates that the results for the final and official count were declared * The names of all candidates, listed in descending order by how many votes they received (the actual number of votes is not included) * The number of disqualified ballots (specifying the reasons) * An evaluation of the procedure and suggestions for improvement for future elections. > Election Committee members shall keep the numbers of votes for each candidate confidential indefinitely. > The President shall announce the winners by June 1 (bylaws). By June 1 the President shall: o privately inform each candidate whether he or she was elected, and the number of votes received (the President will otherwise keep these numbers confidential); o send announcements of the names of the new Board Members, listed in alphabetical order (not reporting the vote counts for each) to: * current Board Members * Home Office * Editor of DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN * deaf blind listservs > The President, current Board Members, and Home Office will provide the names of the new Board Members to any member who asks. > The newly elected Board Members shall begin their term on July 1 of the election year (bylaws). > The Home Office shall keep the ballots on file for at least a year, and shall keep copies of candidates’ proof of citizenship documents on file indefinitely. 6.3.3 Procedure for Revising the Policy and Procedure Manual > Note that any policies which appear before the symbol “(bylaws)” are from the AADB bylaws and cannot be changed without amending the bylaws. > Whenever the Board passes a motion which establishes a new policy or procedure for AADB, the Law Committee will update the Policy and Procedure Manual by revising or adding the appropriate sections to incorporate the new policy or procedure. > The Law Committee will send the revised sections to the Home Office, which will: > maintain an update Policy and Procedure Manual on disk; > incorporate the revisions into the updated Policy and Procedure Manual; > change the “Updated date” which is in the heading of the Manual to the current date; > send dated copies of the revised sections to the Board Members to add to their copies of the Manual. SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDERS 7.0 SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDERS AADB depends a great deal on the volunteer services of Support Services Providers (SSPs). These SSPs provide guiding, transporting, and interpreting. 7.1 GENERAL POLICES FOR SSPs * SSPs shall provide services to members when needed. * SSPs and the members to whom they are assigned should express their wants and needs to each other, and respect each other’s opinions and suggestions. * SSPs should wear upper apparel (shirt, sweater, etc.) that is a solid color which contrasts with the color of the skin. 7.2 POLICIES REGARDING SSPs AND BOARD MEETINGS * An SSP should be available during the meetings for each Board Member who needs one. Additional SSPs should be available to provide relief when needed; these relief SSPs should have skills in using different communication methods. * SSPs should also be available to assist Board Members outside of the meeting when needed (for meals, guidance to restrooms, etc.), and may sometimes be needed when the meeting is finished for the day (for example, at restaurants). * Board Members may bring to the Board meetings one SSP who is familiar with the Board Member’s preferences for communication, language, and regional signs. * AADB will reimburse travel expenses, room accommodations, and meals for SSPs accompanying members on AADB business. Section 5.2.3 above on page 38, provides the procedures for reimbursements. 7.3 POLICIES REGARDING SSPs AT AADB CONFERENCES * SSPs are the “eyes and ears” of deaf-blind delegates at AADB Conferences. The following general policies are applicable to all AADB conferences: * Persons with limited vision and hearing cannot be SSPs for deaf-blind delegates. The reason behind this is that these people are “deaf-blind” themselves so it poses a liability and fairness issue for deaf-blind to be SSPs to other deaf-blind. * Children and youth under the age of 18 cannot register as SSPs. SSPs and local workers are not allowed to bring their children to the conference for the simple reason that they will not be able to supervise their children and work with deaf-blind delegates at the same time. * In the event that a delegate and SSP wish to go off site on their own, to an activity that is not part of the AADB conference, AADB is not liable for injury or damages that may incur. * No activities are scheduled between the times of 4:00-5:00 PM and beyond 10:00 PM in order to be respectful of SSPs’ need for break and rest. If the delegate wishes to continue to be active during these times, the delegate needs to check with the SSP to see if they are ok with this and reach an agreement on how long, what time, where or find another SSP who doesn’t mind going with the delegate. AADB can not enforce the SSP breaks but encourages the delegates to be respectful of SSPs’ need for breaks. 7.4 SSP COORDINATOR NOTE: We need to have the role and responsibilities of the SSP Coordinator. DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN MAGAZINE 8.0 DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN The DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN (DBA) is the publication of the AADB. This section deals with the policies and procedures of the DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN publication in the following topics: * Media requirements * Description of the DBA magazine * Contents of each issue * Required articles * The cover * DBA policies * The Editor 8.1 POLICY FOR MEDIA REQUIREMENTS AADB recognizes the diverse media requirements of deaf-blind people. The following accommodations are offered for AADB members: * Large print – 18 font bold Arial * Regular print – 12 or 14 font bold Arial * Braille – Contracted (Grade 2) * 3.5 floppy disk or CD AADB will not offer accommodations different from those listed above. 8.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE DBA MAGAZINE The DBA is: * a membership benefit; * sent to members in the mode they indicated is preferred on their membership application; * sent to members using “Free Matter for the Blind”; * published in large print (Font Arial 18); Braille; and disk (in text format); * available in an email version; * published quarterly with the following deadlines for articles: o January – March issue: submission deadline November 15 o April – June issue: submission deadline February 15 o July – September issue: submission deadline May 15 o October – December issue: submission deadline August 15 * sent to the printer by the following deadlines: o January – March issue: anytime before March 1 o April – June issue: anytime before June 1 o July – September issue: anytime before Sept 1 o October – December issue: anytime before December 1 8.3 CONTENTS OF EACH ISSUE Each Issue of DBA has: * copyright symbol shown prominently, * article submission deadlines, * disclaimer that articles don’t necessarily reflect the opinion of the organization, * contact information for the Home Office and current Board Members, * Table of Contents, * article from the President, * article from the Editor, * human interest stories, * topics of interest to deaf-blind people, * between 35 to 50 pages of articles (not including title page, table of contents, contact information, etc.). 8.4 ARTICLES REQUIRED IN SPECIFIC ISSUES * July – September and October – December issues before an election year: Announcement of Board Elections * October – December and January – March issues preceding conferences: Nominations for Awards * January – March every year: Donor list and AADB Annual Budget * July – September issue of an election year: Election results (the President will send the results to the Editor by June 1) * All issues within one year prior to conference: Articles on upcoming conference * Issues after conference: Conference news (minutes of general meeting, summary of conference and workshops, evaluations, etc.). 8.5 THE DBA COVER The DBA Cover shall: * change color/design at the start of each new volume, * have AADB’s logo, * have the issue’s quarterly dates, volume, and number. 8.6 DBA POLICIES * Each year starts a new volume, with the number 1 issue being the January – March issue. * Reprinting articles in the DBA: o If the article is a copyrighted publication, written permission from the publisher must be obtained before reprinting. The written permission will be kept on file at the Home Office. If the article is in a publication that is not copyrighted, written permission from the publisher is not required. NOTE: Journals, newsletters, newspapers, etc. are copyrighted if the symbol © (C inside a circle) is printed in a prominent place, such as the title page, cover, table of contents, editor’s box, etc.; if this symbol does not appear, it is not copyrighted. o All reprinted articles (regardless of copyright status) will have an Editor’s Note after the title which gives credit to the author and the source. o The Editor will ask the Production Manager to send a complimentary copy of that issue of the DBA to the original author and/or publisher if it is requested. * No paid advertisements are accepted because the magazine is sent “free matter,” although unpaid announcements of products and services are permitted. 8.7 THE EDITOR The Editor of the DBA Magazine: * is appointed by the President with approval from the Board; * establishes an Editorial Team which will provide editing (soliciting, selecting, and editing articles); proofreading, layout and design, production (printing, brailing, assembling the print and the Braille magazine, and producing disks); and mailing or distribution; * discusses roles and responsibilities with the editorial team when it is first assembled and establishes a smooth procedure for getting it done efficiently. 8.8 COPYRIGHT POLICIES 8.8.1 Policies on the DBA and E-News * All publications created by AADB are owned by the AADB, including The Deaf-Blind American, AADB E-News, web-based documents, and any and all informational materials published by the AADB. This means that publishing credit is given to AADB for the publication of all articles or submissions sent to AADB. * Articles from The Deaf-Blind American and AADB E-News can be copied and distributed freely, with credit given to AADB. This can be indicated by copying the front page, with AADB’s name prominently displayed, and/or making sure that articles have the name of the publication, the volume and issue number, and publication date shown in the article (e.g., at the bottom of each page), or displayed on a website or in the body of an email. 8.8.2 Policies on reprinting articles from other publications * If the article is a copyrighted publication to be reprinted in The Deaf-Blind American or AADB E-News, written permission from the original publisher [or from the author if the author has retained copyrights in the article] must be obtained and a copy of such permission kept on file in the AADB Office. If the article is from a publication that is not copyrighted (such as public domain material or government publications), written permission from the author or publisher is not required. * Other organizations can freely reprint articles from The Deaf-Blind American for non-commercial use by contacting the editor for permission beforehand, and giving credit to AADB. If the article is reprinted or excerpted in another publication, it needs to state where the article was originally published, that it is an excerpt, and the AADB Office contact information. * AADB also accepts reprints from other publications, with permission obtained from and proper credit given to the publisher and/or author. 8.8.3 Policies on reprinting personal writings * If the editor wishes to print a personal story, poem or essay in The Deaf-Blind American, the editor will contact the author of that publication for permission in writing (snail mail or email). A copy of both the request and the permission will be kept on file in the AADB Office. Copyright of the article, poem or essay belongs to the author. * If another organization wishes to reprint a personal poem, story or essay published in The Deaf-Blind American or AADB E-News, the editor will contact the author of that piece for permission, and a copy of their correspondence providing such permission will be kept on file in the AADB Office. * If an author requests that AADB not reprint his/her article, that article will not be accepted for publication. * The editor reserves the right to edit articles for content, length, grammar, DBA magazine style, and readability. Any article submitted to the DBA or E-News must represent AADB in a positive light. Any article deemed inappropriate for AADB or damaging to AADB’s image will not be accepted. 8.8.4 Policies on informational matters * Brochures and Fact Sheets: o AADB also publishes informational materials or fact sheets for the purpose of educating the public on various aspects of deaf-blindness. These informational materials can take the form of printed or web-based fact sheets for public distribution, “FAQs” or frequently asked questions posted on the AADB website and/or distributed to the public, or other informational materials distributed via paper and/or posted on the AADB website. o Informational materials or fact sheets produced by AADB staff or volunteers belong to AADB. AADB is to be given credit for being the first to publish these informational materials. These materials can be freely copied and distributed, with credit given to AADB. This can be shown by ensuring that AADB’s name is shown prominently on the publication, either on the front page and/or on each page of the publication, along with the date of publication. * If an AADB publication is posted on the AADB website, AADB asks that other organizations make a link onto their own websites. Each publication will be provided in a variety of formats so it is accessible to everyone, including PDF, html, MS Word, and plain text format. If an excerpt of a publication (web-based or print) is published in another publication, the publication needs to state where it obtained the article, that it is an excerpt, and that the complete information can be obtained from the AADB Office or its website. * Other organizations can also make a link on their own website to AADB publications. * The editor reserves the right to edit any informational piece for length, content, language, readability, appropriateness, and whether or not it conforms to AADB guidelines. * AADB uses the phrase “deaf-blind” to represent its membership. The phrase “deaf-blind” must be used in AADB publications. * Appropriate disability-specific language must be used in a publication submitted to AADB (e.g., a wheelchair user, a person with cerebral palsy). * All facts must be verified in an informational publication before being sent to the editor. Source information must be included so the editor can follow up with each source. * Reprints of informational materials can be used for distribution with permission from the author and/or publisher. 8.8.5 Photographs and artwork * Photographs created by AADB staff and/or volunteers and used for AADB’s publications or used in another publication, are owned by AADB. * AADB will contact the person(s) being photographed ahead of time and ask for permission to use the photos in AADB’s publications or publicity work. A copy of the release form or email granting permission will be kept on file in the AADB Office. 8.8.6 Websites * AADB Website o Information produced by the American Association of the Deaf-Blind and posted on the AADB website belongs to AADB. Information from the AADB website can be quoted with credit given to AADB. We also ask that people create links to our website rather than making their own files and documents. o If people wish to excerpt one of our publications to put into something that they are publishing, we ask that they use the appropriate identifying information, state that this is an excerpt from a larger publication and give AADB’s contact information and website info for those interested in getting the complete document. o An example of a website citation is: Bourquin, et al. (2006). Support Service Providers for People who are Deaf-Blind. Retrieved March 16, 2007, from the American Association of the Deaf-Blind’s website: www.aadb.org * AADB will make every effort to ensure that website information is accessible to everyone. Information will be posted in a variety of formats, including but not limited to MS Word text, html, and PDF. 8.8.7 Personal Writings * AADB welcomes personal writings from deaf-blind writers and others in the deaf-blind community, including stories, essays and poems. They can be posted on the website at any time. AADB reserves the right to decide how long these materials can be posted on the website. Copyright belongs to the authors of these writings. * If the editor or webmaster wishes to post a personal essay, story or other writing, the editor or webmaster will contact the author for permission. 8.8.8 Other Websites AADB will give credit to others when quoting other organizational websites, and/or create links to other organizational websites. 8.8.9 Copyright Information AADB will indicate its copyright information by presenting the copyright symbol © (the letter C in a circle) in a prominent place in its publications or products, such as the title page, cover, table of contents, or website page. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION 9.0 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION AADB sponsors four (4) awards which are presented at each conference, and the Board may assign the Awards Committee to recognize others if deemed appropriate. This section deals with the Policies and Procedures in the following topics: * Awards * Awards Policies * Awards Procedures 9.1 AWARDS 9.1.1 Laura D. Bridgman Memorial Award The Laura D. Bridgman Memorial Award is presented to a deaf-blind individual for outstanding achievement in meeting the challenge of deaf-blindness, thus providing encouragement and inspiration to other deaf-blind citizens of the world. 9.1.2 John J. Murphy Memorial Award The John J. Murphy Memorial Award is presented to an individual for being a devoted friend and ambassador by promoting the interests and well being of deaf-blind Americans. 9.1.3 Peter J. Salmon Memorial Award The Peter J. Salmon Memorial Award is presented to an individual for years of dedicated and outstanding service to deaf-blind Americans. 9.1.4 AADB Special Service Award The AADB Special Service Award is presented to an individual for devoted and outstanding service to AADB and its special interests and goals. 9.2 AWARDS POLICIES * Members of the Board and the Awards Committee and their significant partners may not nominate or be nominated for awards. However, if there are no acceptable nominations for a specific award, the Awards Committee can make a nomination for that award. * Anyone other than those mentioned above can nominate people for the awards, regardless of whether they are deaf-blind, and regardless of whether they are AADB members. * The awards are presented to individual people, not to organizations or companies. Each person may nominate no more than one person for each award. 9.3 AWARDS PROCEDURES 9.3.1 Procedure for Selecting Award Recipients > Publish a call for nominations for AADB awards in the October – December and the January – March issues of the DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN (deadlines are August 15 and November 15), as well as in other appropriate media such as internet networks and web sites. The name and description of each award, including criteria for selection as well as the rules for nomination, will be included in the call for nominations. The deadline for nominations will be March 31. > Each person may nominate no more than one person for each award. The person who nominates must give the nominee’s name and a brief statement of why the nominee deserves the award. The reason for nomination should match the purpose of the award. > The Committee will discuss and select recipients for each award. If two nominees are equal, the committee will choose one who has longer service and/or more impact on deaf-blind community and service agencies. > The Committee will write brief statements about the recipients and report to the President by May 1. > The Board will review the Committee’s report. After the Board approves the selection of recipients, the Chair of the Awards Committee will notify the winners before their names are announced to the membership, and will arrange for the names of the award recipients to be announced in the DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN before and/or after the conference. > The Awards Committee will select who will present each award to the recipients, and will have the Home Office get an appropriate award (plaque, trophy, medal, etc.) to present to each recipient. > The awards will be presented during the national conference at the banquet or other appropriate occasion. Each presenter will give a brief statement about the recipient before presenting the award, and the award recipients may give short acceptance speeches. > If a recipient cannot attend the banquet, the Home Office will ship the award to the recipient’s home within two weeks after the conference, or the recipient can send someone to the conference to accept the award on his or her behalf. CONFERENCES 10.0 CONFERENCES Effective 2003, national conferences shall take place every two years on odd numbered years, depending on finances (bylaws). 10.1 CONFERENCE POLICIES The President, with the approval of the Board, shall announce the date and location of national conferences in the DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN publication and/or by mail (bylaws). AADB can remove members who are disruptive or abusive from conferences (bylaws). Section 4.5.2, above on page 26, provides the procedure for removing disruptive members from meetings. 10.2 POLICIES FOR CHILDREN AT CONFERENCES AADB national conferences are primarily for deaf-blind adults, age 18 or older. When children attend conferences they are governed by the following policies: * Deaf-blind teens, age 16-17, are welcome to register as Delegates and participate in conference activities as long as they have a responsible adult registered with them. The responsible adult can come as an SSP for the deaf-blind youth or pay the conference fee as a Family Member. * Delegates or observers who bring their children who are under the age of 18 are required to register them as a “Family Member” and pay the respective registration fee. Delegates and observers are responsible to supervise their own children at the conference. * If teens who are not deaf-blind wish to observe the conference, they need to register as an observer or family member and a parent or responsible adult must go with the teen. If a parent is not going to attend the conference, they must fill out the name of the responsible adult on the registration form, giving permission for the named responsible adult to supervise his/her child during the conference. * AADB does not provide any daycare or activities for children under the age of 16. * Children and youth under the age of 18 cannot register as SSPs. SSPs and local workers are not allowed to bring their children to the conference for the simple reason that they will not be able to supervise their children and work with deaf-blind delegates at the same time. 10.3 POLICIES ON MENTAL HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES AT AADB CONFERENCES * AADB is not responsible for providing mental health counseling or medical services for participants at AADB conferences. * For minor medical needs, AADB will normally provide a list of nearby stores to buy over-the-counter medication for minor ills. * Participants will need to dispense their own medications. AADB does not have a nurse on staff to do this. * AADB will compile a list of clinics, hospitals, and mental health resources in close proximity to the conference site. Participants will be responsible to pay for the medical/mental health services, and arrange and pay for their own transportation to/from these services. MISCELLANEOUS 11.0 MISCELLANEOUS 11.1 LOGO POLICIES AADB’s logo is reserved for use by AADB to symbolize the association. 11.2 WEB SITE POLICIES AADB’s web site will be accessible to all users. 11.3 CRISIS MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE The text for this section has not been provided. PROGRAM MANAGER AND HOME OFFICE 12.0 PROGRAM MANAGER AND HOME OFFICE 12.1 DUTIES OF THE PROGRAM MANAGER The Program Manager and Home Office shall maintain and update the following: * database of members and SSPs, including the communication preference and special needs of the deaf-blind members, and the communication skills of the SSPs; * a list of Board Members and a description of their needs concerning communications (including the preferred format for reading documents and correspondence; e-mail accessibility; and communications needs for meetings), accessibility (including any special needs concerning physical accessibility), dietary needs, and any other appropriate needs; * an updated Policy and Procedure Manual on disk. Section 6.3.3, above on page 51, provides a procedure for revising the Policy and Procedures Manual; * copies of candidates’ proof of citizenship documents on file. Section 6.3, above on page 45, provides committee procedures that include establishing proof of citizenship for certain key persons; * the written permissions which have been submitted by authors to reprint copyrighted articles in the DBA (and send a complimentary copy of that issue of the DBA to the original author and/or publisher if it is requested). Section 8.8, above on page 62, provides the administrative procedure for including copyright materials in AADB publications. 12.2 PREPARING FOR A BOARD MEETING * When preparing for a Board meeting the Program Manager and the Home Office shall: o work with the President to investigate and choose an appropriate meeting site; o make arrangements for the meeting room, lodging, and meals for Board meetings; o provide copies at the Board meeting in the appropriate format, for each Board Member, of all reports and documents which were submitted at least a week prior to the Board meeting; o make arrangements for the meeting room to be set up for Board meetings to facilitate maximum communication; o provide the Board Members and SSPs with reimbursement information and instructions for each Board meeting. 12.3 HANDLING REIMBURSEMENTS The Program Manager and the Home Office shall: * mail travel expense reimbursements within 45 days of the receipt of the travel expense forms; * send checks for reimbursement as appropriate. * Reimbursed expenditures must each be covered in the approved budget or be specifically approved by the Board. * All requests for reimbursement require a receipt for reimbursement except per diem reimbursement for food. * Section 5.1.4, above on page 35, provides a discussion of the reimbursement policies. 12.4 MAINTAINING AND PROVIDING FINANCIAL RECORDS The Program Manager and the Home Office shall: * record each expenditure in the accounting book, coded to the appropriate budget category, and support all disbursements with invoice, time sheet or other documentation; * provide necessary documents to the Treasurer on a monthly basis so that the Treasurer can prepare the quarterly financial reports for the Board. 12.5 HELP PREPARING BUDGETS The Program Manager and the Home Office shall work with the Finance Committee to prepare the budget for the Board to review. Section 5.2.1 on page 37 above, provides the procedure for preparing a budget. 12.6 PREPARING FOR ELECTIONS The Program Manager and the Home Office shall: * check the membership status and verify the citizenship/residency status of the candidates running for office or the Board and prepare a ballot with the names of all qualified candidates; * select a strategy for sending the ballots which will help ensure that each member submits no more than one ballot. For example, require that ballots be returned in specially printed or selected envelopes which are enclosed with the ballots, or print the ballots on special paper, or place a mark on each ballot that is difficult to photocopy, etc. This strategy must not jeopardize the anonymity of the ballots. For example, marking the ballots or envelopes with numbers matched to members’ names would jeopardize the anonymity of the ballot; * follow the required procedure for elections. Section 6.3.1 on page 45 above, provides the procedure for nominations and elections; * after the election, keep the ballots on file for at least a year, and keep copies of candidates’ proof of citizenship/residency documents on file indefinitely; * provide the names of the newly elected Board Members or Officers to any member who asks. 12.7 DISTRUBUTING MATERIALS The Program Manager and the Home Office shall: * send a Board Handbook to new Board Members at the beginning of their term, and send updated Board Handbook information to those Board Members who are returning for a consecutive term. Section 3.2.2, above on page 17, provides a list of required materials for Board members; * whenever the Policy and Procedures Manual is updated, send Board Members either the entire updated Manual in electronic format, or revised sections to insert into their copies of the Manual (each page of these sections will have the date of the revision); * when the Secretary sends the corrected minutes to the Home Office, send copies to all Board Members in their preferred format. 12.8 MISCELLANEOUS The Program Manager and the Home Office shall: * work with and provide assistance to the committees as needed to complete their projects; * use the Media Committee as a resource for issues of accessibility of AADB publications, materials, and web site, and consult the Committee before publishing or producing materials; * get appropriate awards (plaque, trophy, medal, etc.) to present to each AADB award recipient at the conference. For recipients who were not able to be present, ship awards to their home within two weeks after the conference. 12.9 PROCEDURE FOR FILLING PROGRAM MANAGER POSITION > The President will notify the officers of the Executive Committee of the vacancy of the Program Manager position. > A part-time temporary replacement from the Maryland/DC area who has some knowledge of AADB Home Office management will fill the position until a permanent replacement can be found. In the event a part-time temporary replacement can’t be found, the President will delegate certain duties to the Board. > The President and/or Treasurer will manage all financial affairs. > The President will discuss with the Executive Committee a plan to fill the position. > The President will keep the Board fully informed of progress in filling the Program Manager position. INDEX AADB 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 30, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 78, 82, 83 AADB Special Services Award 70 AADB Spokesperson - President 12 AADB Supporters - Organizational Members 5 abusive 6, 24, 73 accessibility 17, 44, 77, 82 accounting 14, 39, 79 Active 4, 15, 24, 36, 44, 46, 47, 48, 93 Active Members 3, 4 Ad hoc committees 40 advocate 43 agenda 10, 25, 28, 29 announce 9, 12, 31, 51, 73 approved 1, 14, 15, 19, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 42, 43, 79 Associate Member 47 Associate Members 3, 4, 15, 46, 93 award AADB Special Service Award 70 John J. Murphy Award 69 Laura D. Bridgman Award 69 Peter J. Salmon Award 70 Award Committee 6, 7, 41, 44 awards 44, 59, 69, 70, 72, 82 Awards Committee 72 ballot 48, 49, 80 benefits 43 Bequests 37 Better Business Bureau 36 Board Handbook 18, 81 Board Members 1, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 45, 46, 51, 52, 54, 77, 79, 81, 82 Braille 29, 48, 57, 61 Bridgman 69 brochures 43 budget 14, 15, 33, 34, 39, 42, 79, 80 budgeted amount 16, 34 bylaws 1, 4, 5, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 33, 34, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51, 52, 73 candidates 12, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 78, 80, 81 Categories of Membership Active Members 4 Associate Members 4 Honorary Members 4 Organizational Members 5 Chair 6, 40, 72 chairpersons 11 citizenship/residency 47, 80, 81 COMMITTEES 40, 41 DEAF-BLIND AMERICAN 5, 7, 12, 33, 43, 46, 51, 56, 71, 72, 73 disruptive 6, 7, 8, 24, 26, 73 Dues 3, 5, 6, 93 Election Committee 11, 41, 47, 48, 49, 50 e-mail 17, 30, 31, 48, 77 events 35 Executive Committee 11, 13, 41 expenditures 14, 16, 33, 34, 35, 38, 39, 79 Finance Committee 13, 14, 33, 37, 41, 80 financial report 14 fiscal 33 Handbook 18, 43 Home Office 1, 9, 12, 18, 26, 41, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 58, 60, 72, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83 Home Office Committee 41, 43 Honorary Members 3, 4, 6, 93 International Members 3, 93 Law Committee 41, 42, 52 lodging 27, 78 majority 7, 19, 23, 26, 31 medical services 75 medications 75 meetings 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 35, 36, 53, 54, 73, 77, 78 MEMBERSHIP 3, 5, 6, 23 membership list 48, 49 membership privileges 6 mental health counseling 75 mental health resources 75 minutes 14, 15, 18, 22, 23, 25, 26, 32, 59, 82 motion 22, 23, 30, 31, 32, 52 Multimedia Committee 41, 43 national conferences 12, 15, 24, 25, 73 ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS 5 passport 47 percentage 35 postmarked 46, 48, 49 President 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 51, 58, 59, 61, 71, 73, 78, 82, 83 Procedures Awarding Honorary Membership 6 Developing the Budget 37 Election 46 Expenditures 39 Filling Program Manager Position 82 Filling vacancies on the Board other than the President 19 Nomination and Election 45 Passing Motions Between Board Members 29 Preparing for a Board Meeting 26 Reallocation and Unbudgeted Expenditures 38 Recording Minutes by Consensus 25 Reimbursement 38 Removing a Board Member other than the President 19 Removing Disruptive Members 26 Removing Membership from Disruptive Members 6, 7 Removing the President 20 Revising the Policy and Procedure Manual 52 Selecting Award Recipients 71 publications 5, 44, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67, 68, 78, 82 qualified ballots 49 quarterly 14, 57, 60, 80 quorum 24, 26, 30, 31 reallocate funds 34 recommendations 7, 37, 42, 43, 45 regions 25 report 14, 23, 28, 35, 39, 40, 50, 71, 72 Resignations 18 revenue 35 Review Committee 7, 8 Robert’s Rules of Order 22 roll call 15 salary 43 Secretary 4, 11, 14, 15, 18, 25, 26, 30, 32, 45, 46, 82 special message 32 SSP 27, 28, 53, 54, 55, 74 suspended 9 terminated 6 Treasurer 4, 11, 13, 15, 38, 39, 41, 45, 46, 80, 83 TTY 29 vacancies 17, 19 Vice President 13, 15, 17, 28, 45, 49 vote 1, 4, 5, 7, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 49, 51 warn 26 Appendix A – Membership Fees Table of Membership Dues Active and Associate Members $10/year International Members $20/year Organizational Members $75/year Non-profit Organizational Members $50/year Honorary Members No Dues 93 lxxxii