[IABS-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of January 12

Tue Jan 13 15:47:50 UTC 2026

Critical Actions:

Update on Recurring Monthly Donations:

We appreciate all of our donors and especially our recurring monthly donors
for your patience and understanding as we navigate an unexpected
interruption in our donation process. In late October we learned the link
between our financial system and the processor was going to be severed,
making us scramble to find and implement a replacement system. The new
system went live between December 19 and 22 when we started processing all
missed donations as of November 7. If you are a PAC donor whose donation is
processed after the seventh of the month, you will see two back-to-back NFB
donations on your December bank or credit card statement. Now that our new
system is in place, all donations will go back to their regular monthly
cadence. 

Our new system securely houses donors' payment methods within Stripe, a
credit card and ACH processor. The new process automates some tasks and
sends donors a receipt when a transaction successfully processes; this
system also requires donors to manage their own bank details. Previously,
NFB staff would enter bank information into our system; our new system does
not allow us to complete this task. When a PAC, SUN, or Museum campaign
donor wants to enroll a new pledge using a bank account or change their bank
details, our accounting department will send a secure link to the donor who
will enter their bank details and immediately verify the bank account. If a
donor wants to switch from a bank account to a credit card or update a
credit card, our accounting staff can update those details in the system. We
apologize for any confusion or concern this process caused. If you have any
questions or concerns, please contact Bridgid Burke at
<mailto:donation at nfb.org> donation at nfb.org. 

Washington Seminar:

2026 Washington Seminar Training-Mock Meeting Trainings:

The 2026 Washington Seminar is only two weeks away. While our government
affairs group is working diligently to ensure that everything goes smoothly
during that week, there is still some preparation work for you and your
affiliates this week. We will be conducting two mock meeting training
sessions via Zoom. The first will be tomorrow, Tuesday, January 13, and the
second will be Thursday, January 15. Both of these are open to all, will
take place at 8:00 p.m., Eastern, and will utilize the same Zoom
information, which is included below. We look forward to seeing you all on
the call, and in DC in just fourteen days!

Join Zoom Meeting 

 <https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/7567531013?omn=98305085341>
https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/7567531013?omn=98305085341   

Meeting ID: 756 753 1013

Washington Seminar Registration:

If you have not already done so, we encourage you to register for the 2026
Washington Seminar. Registration is completely free and provides us with a
way to send important information out to participants. The registration form
link is available on our Washington Seminar page at
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar>
nfb.org/Washington-Seminar.

2026 Washington Seminar Fact Sheets:

The fact sheets for our three Washington Seminar issues: Protecting
Education, Employment, and Independent Living Programs for the Blind; the
Access Technology Affordability Act; and the Blind Americans Return to Work
Act, are all available on the
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar> Washington
Seminar page of our website. Once there, you will find them in four
different formats: Word, HTML, audio, and BRF. We encourage you to review
the fact sheets thoroughly before you get to DC, so that you can be an
effective advocate for our priorities. 

News:

Read the following statements and articles: 

*
<https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/statement-federal-notice-limiting-rando
lph-sheppard-priority-department-army> Statement on Federal Notice Limiting
Randolph-Sheppard Priority for Department of the Army Dining Facility
Contracts
*
<https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/braille-monitor/early-acce
ss-articles/presidents-desk-federation> From the President's Desk: The
Federation Shares Pressing Concerns with Vispero's CEO
*
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/legislative-priorities/legislati
ve-alerts/pass-national-museum-blind> Introduction of the National Museum of
the Blind People's Movement Act

Member Reminder: Exclusive Benefits

Current members have access to valuable benefits, including:

*	Aira Visual Interpreting Service: Longstanding special rates for NFB
members.
*	Bookshare: New subscribers receive a 30 percent discount; renewing
members get 20 percent off.
*	ElevenLabs ElevenReader Premium: Unlock premium access at no cost to
members, offering natural, human-like voices for reading books, newsletters,
and more.

These benefits are designed to enhance independence and inclusion, and we
encourage you to take full advantage of them. 

Convention Information Accidentally Omitted from Print Braille Monitor: 

Some editions of the January 2026 issue of the Braille Monitor did not
include the complete and correct hotel reservation information in the
"Convention Bulletin 2026" article. We apologize for the error and any
inconvenience it has caused. The relevant information is as follows:

Our 2026 National Convention hotel rate is $139 per night for singles and
doubles. Triples and quads are available for $155 per night. Sales tax and a
tourism fee total a combined 19 percent.

Beginning on January 1, you may call 800-627-7468 to book a room at either
hotel. Specify our room block code, BL1, to ensure you receive our
convention room rate. For each room you book, the hotel requires a deposit
of the first night's room rate, taxes, and fees, payable by credit card or a
personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged
immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Sunday, June 1, 2026, half
of the deposit will be returned. Refunds will not be issued after that date.

The complete and correct article is located at
<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm26/bm2601/bm260102.htm>
https://nfb.org//images/nfb/publications/bm/bm26/bm2601/bm260102.htm

Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards:

The National Federation of the Blind is now accepting nominations and
recommendations for the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards. This award recognizes
individuals and organizations that develop initiatives, programs, or
innovations to advance the lives of blind people. The application,
eligibility criteria, and award details are available at
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/dr-jacob-bolotin-
awards> nfb.org/Bolotin.

First-Timer Convention Scholarship:

The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship provides funding support for
active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have never attended an in-person
NFB National Convention. 

Interested members may
<https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/kenneth-jernigan-conventio
n-scholarship> apply for the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship and can
review eligibility requirements
<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm26/bm2601/bm260111.htm> in the
latest Braille Monitor article. The application deadline is April 15, 2026. 

After a form is submitted, the applicant's affiliate president will receive
a copy for their records. Applicants are responsible for contacting their
president to request a letter of recommendation. Affiliate presidents must
email their recommendation to  <mailto:kjscholarships at nfb.org>
kjscholarships at nfb.org by April 15, 2026. 

Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1529):

Since the beginning of December, we have done a fantastic job of creating
cosponsor support for the Access Technology Affordability Act in the House
of Representatives. We have gained eight new cosponsors in that span of
time. Those representatives are James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Chuck Edwards
(NC-11), Becca Balint (VT-At Large), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Derrick Van
Orden (WI-3), Chris Pappas (NH-1), Madeleine Dean (PA-4), and Maxwell Frost
(FL-10). This is a well-timed surge of support heading into the Washington
Seminar. Thank you for all your hard work, and please keep up the advocacy!

Dates to Keep in Mind:

*	January 26-29, 2026: Washington Seminar
*	July 3-8, 2026: National Convention; Austin, Texas
*	July 2-7, 2027: National Convention; Austin, Texas
*	July 3-8, 2028: National Convention; Chicago, Illinois
*	July 2-7, 2029: National Convention; Chicago, Illinois

Introduction to the Organized Blind Movement Calls

*	Wednesday, February 4
*	Wednesday, May 6
*	Wednesday, August 5
*	Wednesday, November 4

Chapter Presidents Calls

*	Thursday March 12 and Sunday March 15
*	Thursday, June 11 and Sunday, June 14
*	Thursday, September 10 and Sunday, September 13 
*	Thursday, December 10 and Sunday, December 13

Marilyn Green, President

National Federation of the Blind of Illinois

312-343-8396

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

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

Live the life you want!

The National Federation of the Blind of Illinois advances the lives of its
members and all blind people in Illinois. We know that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination,
and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.