[IABS-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of November 8

[Marilyn Green]

News:

Access Technology Affordability Act:

Unfortunately, the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) is not
in the House version of the Build Back Better (BBB) Act. The House
version of the BBB is waiting for a Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
score and is likely to be passed by the House the week of November 15.
The good news is the Senate is extremely likely to change the BBB
before passing it. This means we have an opportunity to get the Access
Technology Affordability Act back in the bill. Another legislative
alert will be going out early this week, but in the meantime, please
continue to contact Majority Leader Schumer’s office and ask him to
restore the ATAA into the Build Back Better Act before it gets passed
in the Senate. Furthermore, if your individual Senator or
Representative has not cosponsored the Access Technology Affordability
Act, please ask them to do so.



Teachers of Tomorrow:

Applications to be a part of the 2022 Teachers of Tomorrow cohort will
be opening later this week. The goals of the Teachers of Tomorrow
program are to equip early career teachers of blind students with a
positive philosophy about blindness, to empower them to have high
expectations for their students, and to help them recognize the value
in being connected with the organized blind for themselves and the
families they work with. Please circulate this application to any
university programs in your state, as well as to school districts and
any teachers of blind students you know.
https://nfb.org/programs-services/education/teachers-tomorrow



Upcoming Early Childhood Initiatives: Santa Letters and Winter
Celebration Program:

This year, the National Federation of the Blind is not only helping
Santa out with Braille letters to blind children, we are also
expanding our program to have a winter-themed Braille letter for those
who do not celebrate the Christmas holiday. We are excited to provide
both of these letters in English and Spanish. Parents of children
under the age of ten can select one of the options that best fits
their family.

Starting November 8, parents can request the Braille activity packet
online, via fax, or email. The celebration packets will start going
out to blind children around the country on December 6. The Braille
letter will also be accompanied by a print copy for the whole family
to participate in the fun activities that accompany the celebration
letters. The deadline for letter requests is December 17 to ensure
that a return letter in Braille is received before the winter season
ends. Learn more about the Santa Letters and Winter Celebration
Program.



Response to AbilityOne Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Subminimum Wages:

On Friday, we submitted our response to the most recent AbilityOne
NPRM. The NPRM, published in the Federal Register on October 12, would
require that any nonprofit entity seeking an AbilityOne contract would
need to certify that it has no employees with disabilities being paid
subminimum wages. As you will read in our comments, we strongly
support this proposed rule.



Upcoming Event: Creating and Using Tactile Graphics:

On Tuesday, November 16, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., eastern, the National
Federation of the Blind Center of Excellence in Nonvisual
Accessibility is hosting an accessibility boutique on tactile graphic
creation. Register now!



Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) and National Board for
Certified Counselors (NBCC) Exams:

The NFB is gathering information regarding access barriers with Center
for Credentialing & Education (CCE) and National Board for Certified
Counselors (NBCC) exams. If you have encountered barriers or delays
with requesting accommodations and completing an accessible CCE or
NBCC exam, or if you plan to take a CCE or NBCC exam in the future,
please contact Valerie Yingling, NFB legal program coordinator, at
vyingling at nfb.org. Examples of CCE and NBCC tests include the National
Counselor Examination (NCE), National Clinical Mental Health
Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), and state counselor licensure exams,
among other tests.



Dates to Keep in Mind:

(all times eastern)

November 18: NFB Training Centers Meeting, 8:00 p.m.
December 1: NFB Scholarship Program applications open
December 2: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.
July 5-10, 2022: National Convention, New Orleans

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