Announcing NAGDU at this year's National Convention
Stacie Gallegos
Hello from the National Association of Guide Dog Users, Please forward this email wherever appropriate. We hope this email finds everyone doing well. We hope you are as excited about the upcoming national convention as we are. It is hard to believe that the convention is a little less than one month away. Please be sure to read this email in its entirety, as it contains valuable information. For easier navigation, the information is separated by headings. As always, if you have any questions, email bo...@nagdu.org.
- To find the latest information about the NFB National Convention, visit https://www.nfb.org/convention.
- To find the latest information about NAGDU at the NFB national convention, visit https://nagdu.org/national-convention.
NAGDU Town Hall
NAGDU is hosting a town hall for guide dog users who will be attending this year’s National Convention. Whether you are a seasoned convention attendee, or this is your first convention, this will be a fantastic opportunity to learn about tips and tricks to make your convention experience smooth for you and your guide dog. The town hall will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 8 PM CT, on Zoom.
Zoom Information for the Town Hall
- Join here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84589753173
- Meeting ID: 845 8975 3173
- One tap mobile: +13462487799,,84589753173#
- Landline dial: +1 346 248 7799, then enter the meeting ID
NAGDU Meetings at Convention
NAGDU will host two meetings at this year’s National Convention.
- NAGDU Annual Seminar: Friday, July 3, 2026, 1PM-5PM CT – The first hour is for registration and networking, and the seminar will begin at 2PM.
- Location: JW Marriott Austin Room 205. The seminar will also be streamed on Zoom.
- NAGDU Annual Business Meeting: Sunday, July 5, 2026, 4PM-8PM CT – The first hour is for registration and networking, and the meeting will begin at 5PM.
- Location: JW Marriott Austin, Room 201. The annual meeting will also be streamed on Zoom.
Zoom Information for the Seminar and Business Meetings
- Join here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84589753173
- Meeting ID: 845 8975 3173
- One tap mobile: +13462487799,,84589753173#
- Landline dial: +1 346 248 7799, then enter the meeting ID
Register for the NAGDU Annual Meetings
Registration is officially open for this year's NAGDU Meetings.. Registration is free, and those who register ahead of time will be eligible for door prizes. To register, visit the NAGDU NFB Convention page. The agendas for both meetings will be coming soon.
DOG Relief Area
Once again, NAGDU will be overseeing the maintenance of the dog relief area during this year’s convention. We have hired No Doody Pet Waste Removal to maintain the relief areas at the JW Marriott and the Austin Marriott Down town. If you were at the national convention in 2022 or 2025 in New Orleans, you will be familiar with No Doody. The relief areas will be available from Friday, July 3, 2026, until the morning of Thursday, July 9, 2026. The dog relief areas at both hotels will be cleaned twice each day. A note to all guide dog users: PLEASE DO YOUR PART AND PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOGS! We realize that sometimes we are caught empty-handed when something unexpected needs to be picked up. To help with this, there will be pick-up bags available for anyone who needs them.
Donations for Dog Relief area
NAGDU would like to extend a special thank you to Kevan Worley of Worley Enterprises for his generous donation of funds to cover the cost of this year’s dog relief area. This is an on-going effort. For anyone interested in donating funds for next year’s dog relief area, you can do this electronically by PayPal, Cash App, or Zelle using trea...@nagdu.org. We will also be happy to accept donations during both of the NAGDU meetings at convention.
NAGDU Goodie Bags
There have been several requests for the ever-popular NAGDU goodie bags. You asked, and we listened. Once again, we will have these popular bags available for purchase. Each bag contains a roll of lavender scented pick up bags, travel hand sanitizer, a tasty dental treat for your guide dog, and a NAGDU fanny pack, (while supplies last). Each bag costs $10. Goodie bags will be available for purchased during the NAGDU Seminar and the NAGDU Business Meetings.
Door Prizes at this year's Convention
In keeping with tradition, for those who pre-register for the NAGDU Meetings at Convention, you will be eligible for door prize drawings. We invite anyone who is interested in donating door prizes for this year's Convention to please email me at sgal...@nagdu.org with your prize donation. We will also be accepting door prizes at each of the NAGDU Meetings.
NAGDU Membership and Paying your NAGDU Dues
Once again, we will collect membership dues during the Annual Seminar and also at the annual Business meetings. Dues are $5 per person per calendar year. This means that if you pay membership dues at convention, your NAGDU Membership is good through December 31 of this year. If you belong to an affiliate guide dog user division, you are recognized as a member of NAGDU. Allll affiliate guide dog user divisions should have sent your active membership rosters to Jessica Snyder, NAGDU's membership coordinator by May 31. If you have not already done this, we are requesting for all membership rosters to be submitted by June 30, 2026. Individuals must have their dues paid by July 3, 2026,by 11:59 PM CT in order to be eligible to vote in this year's elections. The elections will be held during the ANnual Business Meeting. Dues can be paid using Zelle or Paypal using trea...@nagdu.org. If you wish to pay by check, Please email Jessica Snyder at trea...@nagdu.org to get instructions and the address where checks can be sent.
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Stacie Gallegos / Secretary
National Association of Guide Dog Users
www.nagdu.org. |. www.nfb.org
(346) 439-7444 | SGal...@nagdu.org
“You can live the life you want. Blindness is not what holds you back.”