[IABS-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of December 20

[Marilyn Green]

Critical Actions:

Legal Update—Spread the Word #BackOffLACCD:

In a case filed by the National Federation of the Blind; the National
Federation of the Blind of California; and two blind students, Roy
Payan and Portia Mason, the Federal District Court for the Central
District of California found that Los Angeles Community College
District (LACCD) violated the students’ rights under Title II of the
Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973. However, LACCD is planning to petition the US Supreme
Court regarding this case—putting disability rights at risk. Please
follow and engage with the hashtag #BackOffLACCD on Twitter to demand
that LACCD stop this intentional effort that threatens our rights.
More information will be shared in an upcoming email.



News:

Start the New Year at the January Presidential Release:

The January Presidential Release will take place January 4, 2021, at
8:00 p.m., eastern. The monthly Presidential Release provides
important updates and perspectives of the organized blind movement,
and the live event includes a Q&A session. Submit questions in advance
to cdanielsen at nfb.org and put PR512 in the subject line, or call
410-659-9314, extension 2473. Zoom details are
https://zoom.us/j/96155839686 or the Meeting ID is 961 5583 9686.



2022 Washington Seminar:

The 2022 Washington Seminar is less than two months away and here at
the Jernigan Institute we are kicking our preparation and planning
into overdrive. Last Thursday, December 16, John Paré sent out an
extensive summary email that included several important details for
the Washington Seminar.

Of the critical details mentioned in that email, one is the Holiday
Inn-Washington reservation deadline, which is January 7, 2022. Please
remember to make your hotel reservation before then. Other important
details were our four 2022 Washington Seminar issues. They are the
Access Technology Affordability Act, the Medical Device Nonvisual
Accessibility Act, the Twenty-First Century Website and Application
Accessibility Act, and the Transformation to Competitive Integrated
Employment Act. We plan to post the fact sheets for these issues on
our website during the week of January 10, 2022.



Process for Posting Research Participant Solicitation Announcements:

The large and diverse membership of the National Federation of the
Blind is of great interest to researchers who are looking for blind
and low-vision individuals to participate in research studies. To help
ensure that these research studies have been approved by the research
institution's internal review board and are focused on topics that
align with the NFB's research mission, our research advisory council
(RAC) has been formed to review all research studies, except for
research conducted by high school and undergraduate students, before
an announcement to solicit members to participate in research can be
posted to any NFB list.

Once a study has been approved by the RAC for participation by our
members, a recruitment announcement will either be posted to the
appropriate NFB email list by Lou Ann Blake, our director of research
programs, or she will ask the appropriate affiliate, chapter, or
division president to make the post. If you have any questions, or if
a researcher emails an announcement to you for posting, please contact
Lou Ann Blake at lblake at nfb.org, or 410-659-9314, extension 2221.



Thank You for Your Support of the National Federation of the Blind:

The National Federation of the Blind relies on the generosity of our
supporters to help us raise the expectations of blind people. Please
share our thank you video to supporters you connected with this year
and to new supporters we look forward to working with in the future.
https://youtu.be/XwgClsONKgY



Lawsuit against Duke University:

The NFB and member Mary Fernandez recently resolved our lawsuit
against Duke University. As a part of the settlement, Duke will revise
its policies and guidelines regarding accessible materials for blind
students and will retain a consultant with expertise in accessible
materials. For more information, please visit Fernandez v. Duke
University Agreement Exhibit 1.



Read and Share the Kernel Books:

The National Federation of the Blind's Kernel Book series highlights
the stories of blind people and goes beyond sentimentality and
misconceptions—to the very "kernel" of blindness. The text and audio
of every Kernel Book is available online at
https://nfb.org/resources/jacobus-tenbroek-library/collections/kernel-books.
Please note: this link is an updated page, please update any bookmarks
you may have of a previous link.





Dates to Keep in Mind:

(all times eastern)

January 4: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.
February 1: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.
February 7: Great Gathering-In, 5:00 p.m.
February 7-10: Washington Seminar
March 1: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.
March 31: Deadline to submit scholarship application
July 5-10: National Convention, New Orleans

-- 
Marilyn Green, President
National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
312-343-8396
www.nfbofillinois.org