<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><br><br>Sent from my iPhone</div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> "Diggs, Parnell via Nfbnet-members-list" <<a href="mailto:nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org">nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Date:</b> April 19, 2016 at 3:59:29 PM CDT<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org">nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org</a><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[Nfbnet-members-list] Urgent, the Space Available bill is moving!</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> "Diggs, Parnell" <<a href="mailto:PDiggs@nfb.org">PDiggs@nfb.org</a>><br><br></div></blockquote><div><span></span></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
<br>
Dear Colleagues:<br>
<br>
As President Riccobono mentioned in Monday's Notebook (see attached), the
House and Senate are finalizing the National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA), and we have been engaged in efforts to make sure that Congress
includes H.R. 2264 and S. 2596, our Space Available legislation, in the
base bill of each chamber of Congress. Today, we have confirmed that the
language of H.R. 2264 has been included in the House draft version of the
NDAA base bill. <br>
<br>
We must be vigilant, however, because anything can happen in the
legislative process between now and the time the vote is taken. But now
the next critical step is to focus on the Senate and ask our senators
also to include the Space Available language in the Senate version of the
NDAA. Please call or email your two senators and ask them to cosponsor S.
2596 if they have not already done so. The Capitol switchboard number is
(202) 224-3121. <br>
<br>
Below, and included for your convenient reference, please find an
alphabetized-by-state list of those who have already cosponsored the
Space Available bill in the Senate. If you do not see one or both of your
senators on this list, please touch base and ask them to cosponsor S.
2596. The more cosponsors we get, the better chance the Space Available
bill gets included in the Senate version of the NDAA. I am also attaching
here an updated fact sheet with additional information about how much
space is available in the Space Available Program. <br>
<br>
This is the final stretch! As always, I can't thank you enough for the
excellent work you do each day. Let's get it done! <br>
<br>
Parnell<br>
<br>
<br>
<u>Delaware<br>
</u>Sen. Christopher A. Coons<br>
<br>
<u>Hawaii<br>
</u>Sen. Mazie K. Hirono<br>
<br>
<u>Montana<br>
</u>Sen. Jon Tester<br>
<br>
<u>Nevada<br>
</u>Sen. Dean Heller (Sponsor)<br>
<br>
<u>New Hampshire<br>
</u>Sen. Kelly Ayotte<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Parnell Diggs, Esq.<br>
Director of Government Affairs<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
200 East Wells Street<br>
Baltimore, MD 21230<br>
Office: (410) 659-9314, extension 2222<br>
Mobile: (843) 267-2018<br>
Email: <a href="mailto:pdiggs@nfb.org">pdiggs@nfb.org</a><br>
Twitter: @NFB_Voice<br>
@ParnellDiggs<br>
<br>
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.<br>
<br>
Make a gift to the National Federation of the Blind and help ensure all
blind Americans live the lives they want<br>
Subject: FW: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 04/1<br>
8/2016<br>
<b>From:</b> President, National Federation of the Blind <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, April 18, 2016 3:59 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> '<a href="mailto:state-affiliate-leadership-list@nfbnet.org">state-affiliate-leadership-list@nfbnet.org</a>'<br>
<b>Cc:</b> '<a href="mailto:john.alahouzos@marketdevelopment.org">john.alahouzos@marketdevelopment.org</a>'; Braun, Beth;
'<a href="mailto:gpaul@cpprov.org">gpaul@cpprov.org</a>'<br>
<b>Subject:</b> NFB President’s Notebook - week of 04/18/2016<br>
<br><br>
<h1><b>President’s Notebook<br><br>
<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br><br>
<br>
Mark A. Riccobono<br><br>
<br>
<a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">
officeofthepresident@nfb.org<br><br>
<br>
</a>(410) 659-9314</b></h1> <br>
Dear Fellow Federationists,<br>
<br>
Last Monday I did not get the notebook out. One reason was that I spent
part of the day talking with Congressman Young, from Iowa, who visited
here after the consistent urging of our members in Iowa. Although every
member of Congress is not likely to make the short trip from Washington,
DC, to Baltimore, I am certain that more of them would if you urged them
to do so. I think we should consider how we get more members of Congress
to visit our national headquarters to learn, in more detail, about the
work that we do. Thank you to our colleagues in Iowa for getting this
done. <br>
<br>
We are into the heavy planning time for the national convention. I hope
that each of you have made plans for your involvement in the convention.
I also hope that you are making plans for your delegation to be the
biggest ever. <br><br>
<h2><b> <br><br>
<br>
Critical Actions This Week:</b></h2>Blind Parents Needed: <br>
If you or other members of your affiliate would be interested in being a
mentor to a future blind parent or to a current blind parent seeking
support, please send an email to Melissa Riccobono at
<a href="mailto:parenting@nfb.org">parenting@nfb.org</a>. Remember that
when we say parents we also mean grandparents or guardians of all types.
As you know, the National Federation of the Blind is the leading advocate
for the rights of blind parents and the largest resource network for
blind people who are considering being parents. We are continuing to
build our resources in the area of blind parents, and the next step is to
formalize a program of mentoring for blind parents. Mentors will follow
up with individuals they are assigned to mentor, and will be asked for
ideas about other resources needed to strengthen the network of
education, support, and advocacy that is the National Federation of the
Blind.<br>
Space Available: H.R. 2264 and S. 2596:<br>
This legislation will amend Title 10 of the United States Code to permit
veterans who have a service-connected, permanent disability rating as
"total" to travel on military aircraft in the same manner and
to the same extent as retired members of the Armed Forces entitled to
such travel. Please follow up with your congressmen and senators and ask
them to support H.R. 2264 in the House of Representatives and S. 2596 in
the Senate. The Capitol switchboard phone number is (202) 224-3121.<br>
<br>
Last week we added cosponsors in the House and Senate, bringing our total
to fifty-four cosponsors in the House of Representatives and four
cosponsors in the Senate. The next few weeks will be crucial as the
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is formulated in the respective
houses of Congress. A significant number of cosponsors will increase the
likelihood that our space available bill will be included in the larger
legislative vehicle (the NDAA) and become law this year. Please call your
legislators today!<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>News:</b></h2><i>The Huffington Post</i> article:<br>
I was recently quoted in an article in <i>The Huffington Post</i>,
"A Lot More Needs to Be Done to Help Blind People Use the
Internet." The entire article can be found at
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/blind-people-internet-accessibility_us_57051a56e4b0537661883b1c">
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/blind-people-internet-accessibility_us_57051a56e4b0537661883b1c</a>
.<br>
<br>
Presidential Release Available:<br>
The April release has been posted to
<a href="https://nfb.org/presidential-releases">
https://nfb.org/presidential-releases</a> and the Spanish version can be
accessed at
<a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/pr/spanish/pr_449_spanish.mp3">
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/pr/spanish/pr_449_spanish.mp3</a>.<br>
<br>
Higher Education Toolkit in Spanish:<br>
The NFB’s
<a href="https://nfb.org/self-advocacy-higher-education">Self-Advocacy in
Higher Education Toolkit</a> is now available in
<a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/higher-ed-toolkit/autodefensa_en_la_educaci%C3%B3n_superior.pdf">
Spanish</a>. Please remember that we welcome feedback as we prepare to
expand the toolkit’s contents. You can provide feedback via our
<a href="https://nfb.org/self-advocacy-higher-education-feedback">
feedback webform</a> or by contacting Valerie Yingling at
<a href="mailto:vyingling@nfb.org">vyingling@nfb.org</a> or (410)
659-9314, extension 2440. <br>
<br>
New Online Voter Registration Law in Rhode Island:<br>
Many states have laws allowing online registration. However, Rhode Island
is the first state to say, in writing, that voters with disabilities must
have full and equal access to online voter registration. More information
can be found in the blog post at
<a href="https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-freely/voting-precedent-every-state-should-follow">
https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-freely/voting-precedent-every-state-should-follow</a>
.<br>
<br>
Seedlings Braille Books for Children:<br>
Seedlings Braille Books for Children will be supporting our 2016 NFB BELL
Academy by providing two hundred dollars ($200) worth of free books for
each of our 2016 NFB BELL Academy sites. We have over thirty affiliates
participating and forty-five program sites across the country. Each site
will be able to choose books from the great selection Seedlings offers.
We greatly appreciate the support from Seedlings, which will help us to
get more Braille under children’s fingers. Please contact Carlton
Walker at (410) 659-9314, extension 2225, or via email at
<a href="mailto:cwalker@nfb.org">cwalker@nfb.org</a> for more
information. Visit the NFB BELL Academy home page at
<a href="https://nfb.org/bell-academy">https://nfb.org/bell-academy</a>
for more information or to register for NFB BELL Academy.<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Reminders:</b></h2>Preregistration for Convention:<br>
Please don't forget to preregister for convention. Both the form and link
to do so online can be found on our website at
<a href="https://nfb.org/convention">https://nfb.org/convention</a>.
<br>
<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Dates to Keep in
Mind:</b></h2>· April 25: NFB
EQ student application deadline,
<a href="https://nfb.org/nfb-eq-form">https://nfb.org/nfb-eq-form</a><br>
· May 1: Distinguished
Educator of Blind Students Award application deadline<br>
· May 17-20: BLAST,
Chicago<br>
· May 19-21: NFB STEM2U
Minneapolis<br>
· May 21-26: International
Council on English Braille 6th General Assembly<br>
· June 7: NFB EQ teacher
application deadline,
<a href="https://nfb.org/nfb-eq-teacher-application">
https://nfb.org/nfb-eq-teacher-application</a> <br>
· June 19-25: NFB EQ (first
iteration)<br>
· June 30-July 5: National
Federation of the Blind Convention, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando,
Florida<br>
· July 31-August 6: NFB EQ
(second iteration) <br>
· August 2-6: NFB EQ teacher
cohort <br>
· August 18-25: WBU and ICEVI
General Assembly, Rosen Centre, Orlando, Florida,
<a href="http://www.wbu-icevi2016.org">www.wbu-icevi2016.org</a><br>
<br>
<br>
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.<br>
<br>
<br>
Mark A. Riccobono, President<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place<br>
Baltimore, Maryland 21230<br>
Phone: (410) 659-9314<br>
Fax: (410) 659-5129<br>
Email:
<a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">
officeofthepresident@nfb.org</a><br>
Twitter: @Riccobono and @NFB_Voice<br>
Web: <a href="http://www.nfb.org/">www.nfb.org</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br><br>
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