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

Wed Feb 22 16:15:53 UTC 2023

Critical Actions:

March Presidential Release Next Week:

Mark your calendars for the upcoming Presidential Release #525: Wednesday,
March 1, at 8:00 p.m., eastern. Closed captions and Spanish interpretations
are available.

<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fzoom.us%2Fj%2F97552045970&sa=D&s
ntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2FM5lqUtk047fSW_4-CbJd> https://zoom.us/j/97552045970

Webinar ID: 975 5204 5970

National Convention Registration Opens March 1:

The 2023 NFB National Convention will be a truly exciting and memorable
event, with an unparalleled program and rededication to the goals and work
of our movement. A wide range of seminars for parents of blind children,
technology enthusiasts, job seekers, and other groups will kick the week off
on Saturday, July 1, in Houston, Texas. Reminder: #NFB23 Registration will
open on March 1. Read the
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fimages%2Fnfb%2Fpublica
tions%2Fbm%2Fbm23%2Fbm2302%2Fbm230201.htm&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw0tcTtiWRyEn1
hYeqJwjIdg> latest convention bulletin or visit
<http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fconvention&sa=D&sntz=1&u
sg=AOvVaw36u5TempAZcKws7r4z6676> nfb.org/convention for more information.

News:

Victory in Orozco v. Garland Appeal!:

On Tuesday, October 18, a panel of three federal appellate judges heard oral
arguments in the National Federation of the Blind-supported case, Orozco v.
Garland, a case that stemmed from an inaccessible workplace for a blind
federal employee. The opinion from the Federal Circuit Court released last
week stated, "Orozco, an intelligence analyst at the FBI, wants his employer
to use available software that is accessible to blind employees like
himself. Both parties agree that Section 794d of the Rehabilitation Act
generally requires federal agencies, including the FBI, to use technology
that is accessible to employees with disabilities. But the district court
dismissed Orozco's action on the ground that the Rehabilitation Act does not
give him any right to bring a lawsuit against the FBI to enforce that
obligation. We reverse. The plain text of Section 794d extends a private
right of action to all persons with disabilities who file administrative
complaints requesting accessible technology and who seek only injunctive and
declaratory relief."

Read and Share the Braille Monitor:

Access the latest issue of our flagship publication. Read about the
experience of learning about independence, seeking employment opportunities,
stories from members, and more.
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fimages%2Fnfb%2Fpublica
tions%2Fbm%2Fbm23%2Fbm2302%2Fbm2302tc.htm&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw0HaxEf8tus0J
KVc9ZqOR7r> February Braille Monitor (English)
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fimages%2Fnfb%2Fpublica
tions%2Fbm%2Fbm23%2Fbm2302%2Fes%2Fbm2302tc-es.htm&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw3h5-
CKwzy6MZP3tHTOyJi0> February Braille Monitor (Spanish)

Latest Blog Post: "Accessible Payments and Banking with Cash App":

Learn about the features, services, and accessibility of Cash App from Karl
Belanger, nonvisual access specialist, in our latest Voice of the Nation's
Blind blog post, "
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fblog%2Faccessible-paym
ents-and-banking-cash-app&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw0iDQ1uYmLZUdEPz6DXQLlX>
Accessible Payments and Banking with Cash App."

Legislative Advocacy after Washington Seminar:

Now that we've all been home from the 2023 Washington Seminar for a couple
of weeks, this is a perfect time to remind everyone that our legislative
advocacy is not limited to one week at the beginning of the year. We
encourage you to meet with your members of Congress at their district
offices throughout the year, or even via Zoom if necessary. This is
especially important if your member was unable to schedule a time to meet
with you during Washington Seminar. It is critical that we build strong
relationships with all members of Congress so they recognize our
organization and understand our legislative priorities.

Washington Seminar Ratings:

We have received hundreds of ratings following the 2023 Washington Seminar,
and we have already started to formulate strategies for our legislative
priorities based on the information that you have submitted. Thank you so
much for all of your efforts. However, there are still ratings that need to
be submitted into the Washington Seminar Portal. Please keep up the work of
submitting your ratings so that we can have a firm grasp on what the members
of the 118th Congress think about our legislative priorities. If you have
trouble entering information into the Washington Seminar Portal, please
contact Kyle Walls at
<https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/h/yidmzljth13a/?&cs=wh&v=b&to=kwalls@nfb.o
rg> kwalls at nfb.org or 410-659-9314, extension 2223.

Upcoming Event: iOS vs Android Low-vision Accessibility Face-off:

On Tuesday, February 28, the Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access will
present an Accessibility Boutique to discuss low-vision accessibility
features of iOS and Android. Come see how the features stack up against each
other!
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fcivicrm%2Fmailing%2Fur
l%3Fu%3D28168%26qid%3D8111077&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw0_w5Y4bgdAb_9h8J53i1Iw>
Register for the Low-vision Face-off Accessibility Boutique. 

Reminders:

Scholarship Program Deadline Approaching in March:

The National Federation of the Blind scholarship program helps blind college
students reach their educational and employment goals and so much more.
Building on its strong foundation, we have enhanced the awards
granted-making the experience even more inclusive, engaging, and meaningful
for the thirty finalists. Each scholarship winner will receive $8,000.
Encourage students to
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fscholarships.nfb.org%2F&sa=D&snt
z=1&usg=AOvVaw0ptIjXDrowoNm-ZAy5djFv> apply for the 2023 scholarship
program.

Lyft Up and Share:

Please share the following blurb with members via emails and social media to
help encourage people to participate. You can copy and paste the following:

An exciting and easy giving option for everyone: the organized blind
movement is part of the Lyft Up program, so you can contribute every time
you ride with Lyft. The program will round up the cost of your ride to the
nearest dollar and donate the difference. In the Lyft app, simply go to the
menu, navigate to donate, and choose National Federation of the Blind. Share
this with all of your friends and family, because all of our small change
leads to making a big difference. Thank you for your support!

Dates to Keep in Mind:

(all times eastern)

*	March 2 and 5: Chapter Presidents Call, 8:00 p.m. (Scholarships)
*	March 23: Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium
*	May 10: Introduction to the Organized Blind Movement, 8:00 p.m.
*	June 1 and 4: Chapter Presidents Call, 8:00 p.m. (Member Engagement
and National Convention)
*	July 1-6, 2023: National Convention; Houston, Texas
*	August 9: Introduction to the Organized Blind Movement, 8:00 p.m.
*	September 7 and 10: Chapter Presidents Call, 8:00 p.m. (Blind
Equality Achievement Month)
*	November 8: Introduction to the Organized Blind Movement, 8:00 p.m.
*	December 7 and 10: Chapter Presidents Call, 8:00 p.m. (Planning the
Year Ahead)

Marilyn Green, President

National Federation of the Blind of Illinois

312-343-8396

president at nfbofillinois.org <mailto:president at nfbofillinois.org> 

www.nfbofillinois.org <http://www.nfbofillinois.org/> 

Live the life you want!

The National Federation of the Blind of Illinois is a community of members
and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every
day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.s