[IABS-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of October 11

[Marilyn Green]

News:

Double Your Dollars: Matching Gift Opportunity:

A generous supporter of the National Federation of the Blind has
pledged to match the first $50,000 in contributions made during Blind
Equality Achievement Month. Double your dollars and help turn dreams
into reality with employment and beyond. Thank you for helping us
continue our important work to raise expectations.

Three ways to give:

Online at nfb.org/donate
Mail a check to National Federation of the Blind, 200 East Wells
Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
Contribute by phone using a credit card by calling 410-659-9314, extension 2282


Where the Blind Work Webinar:

In celebration of Blind Equality Achievement Month, this upcoming
webinar is a panel discussion with blind and low-vision professionals.
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.



Share the Free White Cane Program:

October 15 is White Cane Awareness Day. Each year the National
Federation of the Blind distributes free white canes across the
county. Any blind individual in the fifty states, the District of
Columbia, and Puerto Rico can request a cane for their personal use.
Requests can be made as often as every six months. Celebrate October
15 and share the Free White Cane Program.



AbilityOne NPRM:

On October 7, the AbilityOne Commission held a virtual public meeting.
At that meeting they discussed a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
that would be published in the Federal Register on October 12. The
NPRM was published and is twenty-seven pages long and is entitled
“Prohibition on the Payment of Subminimum Wages Under 14(c)
Certificates as a Qualification for Participation as a Nonprofit
Agency Under the Javits Wagner O'Day Program.” As the title indicates,
the proposed rule phases out subminimum wages on all AbilityOne
contracts. We are working on our comments and hope to officially
submit them and then publish them on our website within the next two
weeks. We will then have additional information about how we can all
bolster those comments.



Scholarship Program Update: Applications Opening December 1:

The National Federation of the Blind's annual scholarship program is
the largest of its kind in the nation. Every year, we award thousands
of dollars to blind scholars across the country. Save the date: the
2022 scholarship program application will open December 1, 2021.
https://nfb.org/scholarships



New Group: NFB in the Kitchen:

Welcome to our newest National Federation of the Blind group, NFB in
the Kitchen, chaired by chef Regina Mitchell. This group is intended
to serve as a resource for blind individuals with any level of cooking
experience, as well as to serve as an advocacy resource within the
Federation to advance the accessibility of online cooking resources
and important home appliances. The listserv is coming soon. Learn more
about all of our Federation groups.



Blind Equality Achievement Month Twitter Chat, October 21:

Join the National Federation of the Blind on Twitter to discuss
employment and Blind Equality Achievement Month on October 21 at 1:30
p.m., eastern. A Twitter chat is a scheduled, organized, topical
conversation on Twitter centralized around a specific hashtag. For
this chat, we will be using #BlindMonth. The questions will be shared
in advance. Learn more about Twitter to prepare for the chat.



Reminders:

Pledge Fulfillment:

Thanks to our affiliates who have already fulfilled pledges made
during our roll call of states at national convention. If your
affiliate has not yet fulfilled pledges to any of our funds, please
remember that our goal is for this to be complete before the end of
the year. If you have any questions, please reach out to Patti Chang
at 410-659-9314, extension 2422, or pchang at nfb.org. If you know your
payments will not come until closer to the end of the year, please let
Patti know.





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
October 21: Blind Equality Achievement Month Twitter Chat, 1:30 p.m.
November 1: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.
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