June 22, 2025 • 5 mins
Merly Ballesteros of National Federation for the Blind, joins us live at the Travelers Championship. National Federation for the Blind advances the lives of our members and all blind people in the United States. The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day they raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. Their collective power, determination, and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
I'm Allison de Mers. I'm over at the Travelers Championship
and Cromwell. Alongside me, I have Merley Bellastero's She is
from the National Federation for the Blind. Good morning, Good morning,
How are you. I'm great, Thank you so much for
being here today. Thank you for having me for people
who don't know about the National Federation for the Blind.
(00:20):
Who are you and what do you do?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Well? My name is Merlin Melisos.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I am a part of the National Federation of Blind Connecticut.
We are individuals, so basically are striving for change. We
want equality just like everyone else has it, you know,
we want to make sure that we want to see
people grow as individuals. We are blind, We are blind
(00:49):
community who you know, we lack in vision, but we
don't lack an opportunity and we want the same type
of opportunities that others have.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
So tell me what kind of opportunities are you're looking
for that you're not getting so at this entire.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Moment, you know, voting rights for this for people who
are really blind or people who are blind, you know,
we don't have those same opportunities to vote just like
everyone else does.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
It.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
As far as like you know, privacy and chios and
you know, understanding certain things. Yes, they have brail, but
brail isn't for everyone. Not everyone uses brail. Uh.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
We also have.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Chios at the train stations and stuff like that, or
you know at UH at the airports they're not so
accessible for people who are eventually impaired, you know. And
those are the type of equality things that we want
for people. The same things that excited people can do,
we've also can do. We're not limited, you understand, and
nothing really stops us, but you know, we definitely make
(01:52):
that opportunity to the show.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Okay, guess what. We can also do these things.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
So just give us a little bit of assistance, a
little bit of guidance, and you know, we understand like
everyone else. You know, we just prefer that people use
this time to educate themselves rather than just using us
as a discrimination.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
What kind of programs and services do you offer to
people who are blind?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
So for the National Federation of the Blind, UH, we
pretty much have support groups. We have a different chapters
where basically people come and they UH and we discuss UH,
we discuss new opportunities as far as like the Lions
Lions Club the service for the blind and stuff like that.
(02:40):
You know, we also do ark for people to find
ways to meeting with Lesbie, who offers you know, uh education,
uh technologies and stuff like that. Do you have any
events that are coming up at the moment for the summertime?
We are actually we're not doing anything for the summer,
but I know that for the upcoming fall, we do
(03:03):
have our convention, our state convention in Connecticut, and our
president Mary Anne Nelly, she's the one who basically host
is everything. She makes sure that you know that we
receive you know that we do with the things that
we got to do to make sure that we're on
point and everyone is good, you know, to receive the
services that we have.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
That's all.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
What would you say to somebody who may feel funny
or doesn't want to take advantage of the programs, what I.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Would tell them is taken the faith. That's all you
can possibly do. You know, you're not limited to what
you can do and what you cannot do. You don't
know what you're capable of doing until you try it.
So I feel that for people that don't know about
who we are, I'm here to represent who we are.
I am legally blind. I do have friends that are
(03:54):
completely blind, but I am there, Like, how do I
say to me? I feel like I am their voice
and we are our own voice as well.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So yeah, it's exactly what I have to say.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And it's great to have a community of people who
get it.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yes, definitely, and so far for the Bradings when we
were doing it, we've raised up your part of the
charity and we raised up a practical raised up for
parsimally about two thousand and eighty dollars, and you know,
we're making that difference, and we're making that change for.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Us absolutely because you are a nonprofit organization. For every
dollar raised, Webster Bank is going to give fifteen cents,
and if you make a donation, there aren't.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Any fees included.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So please go to NFV dot org right now or
Travelers Championship dot com and make a donation to the
National Federation for the Blind.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Thank you so much, appreciate it. I'm speaking with Merley Ballastero.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
She says, it's so much better than I do from
the National Federation for the Blind. To find out more
about their programs, their services, their events coming up. If
you'd like to volunteer, make a donation again. It's NFB
dot org. Merlie, thank you for being here and for
serving the community.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
I'm Allison de Mers. I'm over at the Travelers Championship
and Cromwell. Alongside me, I have Merley Bellastero's She is
from the National Federation for the Blind. Good morning, Good morning,
How are you. I'm great, Thank you so much for
being here today. Thank you for having me for people
who don't know about the National Federation for the Blind.
(00:20):
Who are you and what do you do?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Well? My name is Merlin Melisos.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I am a part of the National Federation of Blind Connecticut.
We are individuals, so basically are striving for change. We
want equality just like everyone else has it, you know,
we want to make sure that we want to see
people grow as individuals. We are blind, We are blind
(00:49):
community who you know, we lack in vision, but we
don't lack an opportunity and we want the same type
of opportunities that others have.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
So tell me what kind of opportunities are you're looking
for that you're not getting so at this entire.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Moment, you know, voting rights for this for people who
are really blind or people who are blind, you know,
we don't have those same opportunities to vote just like
everyone else does.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
It.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
As far as like you know, privacy and chios and
you know, understanding certain things. Yes, they have brail, but
brail isn't for everyone. Not everyone uses brail. Uh.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
We also have.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Chios at the train stations and stuff like that, or
you know at UH at the airports they're not so
accessible for people who are eventually impaired, you know. And
those are the type of equality things that we want
for people. The same things that excited people can do,
we've also can do. We're not limited, you understand, and
nothing really stops us, but you know, we definitely make
(01:52):
that opportunity to the show.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Okay, guess what. We can also do these things.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
So just give us a little bit of assistance, a
little bit of guidance, and you know, we understand like
everyone else. You know, we just prefer that people use
this time to educate themselves rather than just using us
as a discrimination.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
What kind of programs and services do you offer to
people who are blind?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
So for the National Federation of the Blind, UH, we
pretty much have support groups. We have a different chapters
where basically people come and they UH and we discuss UH,
we discuss new opportunities as far as like the Lions
Lions Club the service for the blind and stuff like that.
(02:40):
You know, we also do ark for people to find
ways to meeting with Lesbie, who offers you know, uh education,
uh technologies and stuff like that. Do you have any
events that are coming up at the moment for the summertime?
We are actually we're not doing anything for the summer,
but I know that for the upcoming fall, we do
(03:03):
have our convention, our state convention in Connecticut, and our
president Mary Anne Nelly, she's the one who basically host
is everything. She makes sure that you know that we
receive you know that we do with the things that
we got to do to make sure that we're on
point and everyone is good, you know, to receive the
services that we have.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
That's all.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
What would you say to somebody who may feel funny
or doesn't want to take advantage of the programs, what I.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Would tell them is taken the faith. That's all you
can possibly do. You know, you're not limited to what
you can do and what you cannot do. You don't
know what you're capable of doing until you try it.
So I feel that for people that don't know about
who we are, I'm here to represent who we are.
I am legally blind. I do have friends that are
(03:54):
completely blind, but I am there, Like, how do I
say to me? I feel like I am their voice
and we are our own voice as well.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So yeah, it's exactly what I have to say.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And it's great to have a community of people who
get it.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yes, definitely, and so far for the Bradings when we
were doing it, we've raised up your part of the
charity and we raised up a practical raised up for
parsimally about two thousand and eighty dollars, and you know,
we're making that difference, and we're making that change for.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Us absolutely because you are a nonprofit organization. For every
dollar raised, Webster Bank is going to give fifteen cents,
and if you make a donation, there aren't.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Any fees included.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So please go to NFV dot org right now or
Travelers Championship dot com and make a donation to the
National Federation for the Blind.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Thank you so much, appreciate it. I'm speaking with Merley Ballastero.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
She says, it's so much better than I do from
the National Federation for the Blind. To find out more
about their programs, their services, their events coming up. If
you'd like to volunteer, make a donation again. It's NFB
dot org. Merlie, thank you for being here and for
serving the community.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
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