[4Alabama] Announcements from the NFBAL Affiliate President

[Jennifer Reeves]

We received word from the White House that President Joe Biden has signed
The Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act into law! This landmark legislation,
which garnered strong bipartisan support in both the U.S. House of
Representatives and Senate, celebrates the profound impact of working dogs
and the lives they transform every day.



This historic moment was made possible by the unwavering dedication of our
entire America’s VetDogs community. Graduates and their service dogs
traveled to the Capitol, sharing their inspiring stories with lawmakers and
building crucial support. Volunteers showed up in force at events,
tirelessly advocating for this cause, while supporters across the country
raised their voices, reaching out to representatives to champion the bill.
And, of course, the working and future assistance dogs and puppies played
their part, melting hearts and bringing smiles to legislators with their
wagging tails and boundless charm.



The act, introduced to the 118th Congress in February 2023 by Rep. Patrick
McHenry (R-NC), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), was later introduced in the Senate in March 2023
by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). Recognizing the invaluable contributions of working
dogs to society, the legislation gained strong support from Senators Chuck
Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), as well as our entire Long
Island congressional delegation, where America’s VetDogs is headquartered.



We couldn’t have reached this moment without the support of our staff,
volunteers, graduates, and partners. I would also like to extend a very
special thank you to President Biden for signing the bill into law. To
review the official White House press release, please click here
<https://vetdogs.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0xMTc4OTM5OSZwPTEmdT0xMTQ1NDA3MDcxJmxpPTExMjg4MzA2OQ/index.html>
.



Surcharges from the sale of the commemorative coins will directly benefit
America’s VetDogs, enabling us to expand our mission and provide more
specially trained service dogs—at no cost—to our nation’s heroes, helping
them Live Without Boundaries®. We now look forward to beginning the coin
design process with the United States Mint.


*Blind Voters Survey—Final Call:*

Our online Blind Voters Survey is available, and we encourage anyone who
has already voted to complete it so that your experiences, whether positive
or negative, can be documented. Please complete the survey either online or
by phone:

   - Voter Survey for In-Person via web.
   <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VDJGSS8>
   - Voter Survey for Absentee or Mail via web.
   <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VYYJDXT>
   - Voter Survey via phone: call 229-632-7878 or toll-free 833-632-7878.
   Please note that the phone number above provides the survey in an automated
   system and will require the survey to be completed in one session. There is
   an option to pause the survey for five minutes and the pause can be
   extended as needed. Push the pound key for help and the star key exits the
   help menu.
   - Spanish Survey via web: Encuesta de votantes ciegos en español
   <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7J3G7FH>


*Legislative Alert: Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment
Act:*

On Friday, November 22, we sent out a legislative alert regarding the
inclusion of the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act.
We are coming down to the wire on the 118th Congress and we want to make
sure that we’ve done everything that we possibly can in order to advocate
for our legislative priorities. In this case, we are trying to ensure that
the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (TCIEA) is
included in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
reauthorization bill that is currently being considered. Right now is a
crucial time for this initiative because Congress wants to pass the WIOA
reauthorization when they return after Thanksgiving. Please urge your
members to follow up regarding the details of the report. If you need a
copy of the alert, please contact Justin Young at jyoung at nfb.org.




*Catch Up on Content and Share on Social Media:*

NEW Publication: As announced in the November Presidential Release, the
National Federation of the Blind has launched a new podcast, *Access On*,
with host Jonathan Mosen, executive director of Accessibility Excellence.
Whether you’re a technology expert or just trying to make sense of it
all, *Access
On* has something for you. Subscribe and listen on your podcast client.



Additionally, catch up on highlights, news, and stories in the most
recent *Braille
Monitor*, *Future Reflections*, and *Nation’s Blind Podcast*. The links
below are National Federation of the Blind publications for you to access
and share with Federationists. These articles and episodes are great to
share on affiliate and division social media to create discussions on
various topics.

   - November* Braille Monitor*
   <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm24/bm2410/bm2410tc.htm>
   - *Future Reflections, Volume 43 Number 3*
   <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr43/3/fr4303tc.htm>
   - *Nation’s Blind Podcast*, “Preserving Our Dignity as Blind People"
   <https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/nations-blind-podcast>


*Braille Readers Are Leaders:*

The Braille Readers Are Leaders contest opened registration on November 15,
2024. Registration lasts through the end of the contest, which will be
January 17, 2025. Logging of your reading minutes does not start until
December 2, 2024.



This year we will have the youth, adult, and teachers of blind students
contests. Be sure to complete the first activity as that will give us your
address so that we can send any prizes you win along the way.

Use the Beanstack website or the Beanstack app to log your many minutes of
reading. Have fun and challenge your friends, family members, and
colleagues who read Braille to join you.



Thanks,



Barbara Manuel, President

National Federation of the Blind

251.656.5165

NFBAL.org

NFB.org



“Blindness is not what holds you back. It’s the misconception of what
blindness is that holds you back.”