[IABS-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of June 14

[Marilyn Green]

News:

Pre-Convention Activity—Zoom Cooking and Cocktails for Banquet:

Plan to attend Feasting Together: Cooking and Cocktails, a
pre-convention activity to help prepare for the banquet, on June 30 at
6:00 p.m. eastern via
Zoom. Federationists Regina Mitchell and Hoby Wedler will share a
couple of recipes and give tips to having a successful banquet dinner
no matter what
your planned meal is. Please send your planned menu or any cooking questions to
communications at nfb.org.
Zoom details and agenda coming soon.

Reminder for First Time Convention Attendees—Convention Concierge Service:

Submit interest by June 15! Access the Convention Concierge Service,
hosted by the Kenneth Jernigan Committee: Let’s connect you with
someone who can help
break the ice, tap into our network, and answer your questions about
all things national convention. Email
rookie at nfb.org
 or drop us a voicemail at 410-659-9314, extension 2020, by June 15 to
let us know that you are interested. Please include your name,
preferred telephone
number, what state you are joining us from, and a few things that you
want us to know when matching you with mentors (e.g., life goals, if
you are a guide
dog user, if you are perhaps a parent of a blind child, if you are a
student, what are your hobbies, the types of individuals you would
like to meet, etc.).

Give $20 Convention Drawing:

Each year, thousands of Federation members and friends make donations
to fund our great programs. Your continued support is needed. When you
participate
in the
Give $20 campaign
 you will be entered into the Give $20 convention drawing (formerly
known as the Kenneth Jernigan convention drawing) AND help our work to
change lives
for blind people across the country. Visit the
Give $20 Convention Drawing page
 to learn how to contribute and qualify. Please note: The drawing is
for individuals and is not intended for contributions by divisions,
state affiliates,
or chapters.

Join the National Association of Blind Students at Convention:

Our national student division is calling all blind students and allies
to join us for our exciting convention programming. After having a
blast at NABS
Networking, plan to attend the business meeting, happening on July 7
at 8:00 p.m., by registering using
this form.
Please note that anyone can register to attend up until the start of
the convention on July 6, 2021. However, if you intend to vote in this
year’s election
process, you must be registered and have paid your dues by June 21,
2021. For more information, we invite you to check out this
NABS at National Convention
 page.

PAC Prizes:

Every year the Pre-Authorized Contribution program holds various
contests during the national convention for which NFB affiliates and
individual members
contribute to the prizes. We are again asking NFB affiliates and
national divisions to support our fun PAC contests by contributing
cash donations to the
contest prizes. Please make checks payable to National Federation of the Blind,
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230,
Attention: Fiscal Services - PAC. You should also send an email to
PAC at nfb.org
 to let us know you are sending a contribution for the contest prizes
and the full name of the organization that the contribution is from.
We want to make
sure we recognize your organization in our thank-you list. You can
contact Scott LaBarre (
slabarre at nfb.org)
or Bridgid Burke (
bburke at nfb.org
 or extension 2271) if you have any questions. We are looking forward
to another fun-PACked convention!

Attention Parents:

Are you a parent of a blind child? Will you be joining us for the
national convention of the National Federation of the Blind for the
first time in 2021?
Or, have you joined us for convention before, but still feel lost,
overwhelmed, or have questions about parent activities, the convention
as a whole, or
navigating the virtual environment? Or have you been coming to
conventions for years and want to help new families have a positive
convention experience?
If you answered yes to any of the above, then you are in luck! The
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) will be
offering two “Convention
411” sessions to introduce a few NOPBC board members so you feel a
little more connected, go over NOPBC activities, discuss general
convention activities
including the NFB board meeting and general sessions, highlight
“shouldn’t miss” events and why they are important for parents and
families, and answer
any questions you may have about this extremely exciting, yet very busy week.

We will be offering this session twice; you do not need to attend both
sessions. Sessions will also be recorded in case you cannot listen to
either one
live. Of course, during recorded sessions you cannot ask questions, so
we hope you will make the time to join us if at all possible so we can
give you
the information you are looking for.

Please join us on Sunday, June 27, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. eastern time

https://zoom.us/j/96476022977

Meeting ID: 964 7602 2977

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,96476022977# US (Chicago)

Or Thursday, July 1, from 8:00-10:00 p.m. eastern time

https://zoom.us/j/94575291675

Meeting ID: 945 7529 1675

One tap mobile

+13017158592,,94575291675# US (Washington DC)

OurFamilyWizard App:

We are investigating the accessibility of the
OurFamilyWizard
 co-parenting app. If you use, or have tried to use, OurFamilyWizard
with screen access software, please contact Valerie Yingling, legal
program coordinator,
at
vyingling at nfb.org
 to report your experience.

Access Technology Affordability Act:

Last Wednesday Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and Jerry Moran (KS)
cosponsored S. 212, the Access Technology Affordability Act. This
brings us closer
to our goal of having 25 senate cosponsors by the end of next week.
Please continue to urge your senators and your representative to
cosponsor this legislation.

The Latest Issue of Future Reflections Available:

Future Reflections
 is a quarterly magazine for parents and teachers of blind children
that offers resources and information based on the National Federation
of the Blind's
positive philosophy of blindness. Read and share this special issue on
COVID and beyond. Access the
recent Future Reflections
 now.

Recent Blog: “Ten Advantages of Being Blind”

Social media can be a place to share the love of our identity with
everyone. Read Julie McGinnity’s post about “Ten Advantages of Being
Blind” in our recent

Voice of the Nation’s Blind Blog.

Thanks to NFB of Kansas and NFB of Kansas Johnson County Chapter:

Appreciation goes out to our Kansas affiliate and the NFB of Kansas
Johnson County chapter for recent generous contributions. We do it all
together with
love, hope, and determination. You are appreciated.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

(all times eastern)

list of 2 items
•
June 29:
Rookie Roundup, 8:30 p.m.
• July 6-10: NFB National Convention, anywhere and everywhere



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