[IABS-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of October 4

[Marilyn Green]

Critical Actions:

Blind Equality Achievement Month: Send in Your Events:

Remember history. Advance equality. Celebrate accomplishments. The
National Federation of the Blind celebrates the organized blind
movement during the
month of October. Chapters across the country organize local outreach
events and many
White Cane Awareness Day
 Proclamations. Submit your events, activities, and celebrations to
web at nfb.org
 so they can be posted on
nfb.org/blind-month.

News:

Access Technology Affordability Act:

We continue to make progress on the Access Technology Affordability
Act on several fronts. H.R. 431 is now up to 114 cosponsors. The most
recent House
cosponsors are from Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, and New York,
so special thanks to those affiliates. On the Senate side, S. 212 is
up to 27 cosponsors,
with the two most recent being Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), the Chair
of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Senator
Catherine Cortez
Masto (NV), who is a member of the Senate Finance Committee. Finally,
the text of the Access Technology Affordability Act has been included
in the reconciliation
package currently moving through Congress, in Section 138519, starting
on page 2339. Please keep up the good work and continue to build
cosponsor support
for the ATAA.

NFB Training Centers—Understand Our Affiliated Training Programs and
What Makes Them Different:

This meeting, to be held Thursday, November 18, at 8:00 p.m., eastern,
will be for NFB affiliate presidents to better understand the
relationship between
the NFB and its affiliated training centers, what makes those centers
unique, and how you can best inform the work of those programs and
help students
get this training.

Celebrate Blind Equality Achievement Month with Our Blind Students:

Use
the registration form
 to sign up to join the National Association of Blind Students (NABS)
on Saturday, October 16, at 8:00 p.m., eastern, for our virtual Blind
Equality Achievement
Month Trivia Fundraiser! The event will be a great night of friendly
Federation competition and a celebration of the movement of the
organized blind. Registration
is a $5 donation to NABS. We will be giving a portion of the proceeds
to the student division of the winning state. If the winning state
does not have
an active division, the funds will be gifted to the affiliate instead.

October Presidential Release Available:

The audio and streaming versions of the October Presidential Release
are available now at
https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases.
The English and Spanish transcripts will be posted at the same link as
soon as they are ready. The next presidential release is scheduled for
November
1 at 8 p.m., eastern, via Zoom.

Pearson:

As a reminder, in 2020, the National Federation of the Blind engaged in a
collaboration agreement with Pearson.
As a part of the agreement, Pearson established a communication
channel through which the NFB can alert Pearson to accessibility
issues that blind students
are experiencing. If you or your student encounter barriers with
Pearson products this fall, please contact Valerie Yingling, legal
program coordinator
at the NFB, at
vyingling at nfb.org.

Where the Blind Work Webinar:

This webinar is a panel discussion celebrating the work and workplace
accomplishments of blind and low-vision people. On Thursday, October
14, at 8:00
p.m., eastern, hear about what a typical day looks like, discover
elements that prepare for career success, learn about alternative
techniques and strategies
used to do these jobs, as well as how to advocate for accommodations
on the job.
Register for the webinar today.

Upcoming Accessibility Seminar: iOS 15 and Android 12 Releases:

Both iOS and Android have exciting new features, and the National
Federation of the Blind
Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access
 is covering them in an upcoming seminar. Come join us on October 13
from 1:00-5:00 p.m., eastern, via Zoom to learn about all the new
features coming
to iOS 15 and Android 12.
Register today.

Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research:

Volume 11 number 2
 of our Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research is now available.
Articles included in this issue describe how sculpture can be used to
teach concepts
in the visual arts education of blind students, inexpensive and easily
employed methods to make geographic instructional materials
accessible, the perspectives
of blind patients on their interactions with healthcare providers, and
the perceptions of blind students in post-graduate distance learning
in STEM fields.

New Blog—On Blindness, Equality, and Achievement: Who Defines Us:

Read the first blog of defining Blind Equality Achievement Month in
the Voice of the Nation’s Blind Blog, “
On Blindness, Equality, and Achievement: Who Defines Us
,” by President Mark Riccobono. New blog posts are published each Monday.

October Braille Monitor Available:

The latest issue of the National Federation of the Blind flagship
publication is now available. Read more 2021 National Convention
speeches, articles about
raising expectations, and stories from members.
Access the Braille Monitor now.

Independence Market Highlighted Items for October:

Products of the Month:

list of 4 items
• Talking All-Purpose Thermometer - $35.00 – Digital talking
thermometer that can be used for cooking, candy making, gardening, and
other hobbies.
• Pot Clip for Talking Thermometer - $4.50 – To be used in conjunction
with the Talking All-Purpose Thermometer mentioned above. Handy for
monitoring the
temperature of liquids. Thermometer sold separately.
• Braille Measuring Spoons (set of four) - $6.00 – Plastic measuring
spoons labeled in print and Braille; includes sizes of 1 tablespoon, 1
teaspoon, ½
teaspoon, and ¼ teaspoon.
• Braille Measuring Cups (set of four) - $9.00 – Plastic measuring
cups labeled in print and Braille; includes sizes of 1 cup, ½ cup, 1/3
cup, and ¼ cup.
list end

Sale and Close-Out Items (Supplies Limited):

list of 3 items
• Solitaire and Fox and Geese Game - $10.00
• Shut the Box Math Game - $10.00
• Egg Separator - $1.00
list end

Dates to Keep in Mind:

(all times eastern)

·       October 14:
Where the Blind Works Webinar,
8:00 p.m.

·       October 15:
White Cane Awareness Day

·       November 1:
Scholarship Program Applications Open

·       November 1: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.

·       November 18: NFB Training Centers Meeting, 8:00 p.m.

·       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