[IL-Talk] President Riccobono's Notebook for the week of February 1

[Marilyn Green]

News:

Raise the Wage Act:

On January 28, 2021, Representative Bobby Scott, Chairman of the House
Committee on Education and Labor, introduced H.R. 603, the Raise the
Wage Act. One
of the key aspects of this bill is Section 6, which would discontinue
the issuance of 14(c) certificates upon its passage and gradually
increase, over
a period of five years, the minimum wage for disabled 14(c) employees
until it was at least at the level of the federal minimum wage. We
strongly support
this section of the bill.

Accelerating Accessibility in 2021: Blind Driver Challenge:

On Friday, January 29, the National Federation of the Blind celebrated
our tenth anniversary of the Blind Driver Challenge and
the first blind driver to independently drive 1.5 miles.
 As part of the celebration this year, we are prioritizing nonvisual
accessibility in regards to driverless technology. Learn more about
the
Blind Driver Challenge.

February Braille Monitor: Access Now:

The latest issue of the National Federation of the Blind flagship
publication is now available. February articles include a request for
your thoughts on
image descriptions, Federation philosophy, education and advocacy for
blind students, and more! Read the
February 2021 Braille Monitor.

Submit an Article for the Braille Monitor: No Experience Needed

The National Federation of the Blind is seeking articles for the
Braille Monitor that focuses on your lived experiences. Share a blind
moment or a strategy
that other blind people should know about. To learn more or submit an
article, connect with Gary Wunder, Braille Monitor editor, at
gwunder at nfb.org.

Independence Market: February Product of the Month and Sale Items:

The February product of the month is the Kenneth Jernigan Cornbread
Kit. Dr. Kenneth Jernigan loved southern, fried cornbread and he
devised this kit.
The kit contains a cast iron muffin pan that makes twelve
scalloped-shape muffins, an oil measurer, disposable filling cups, and
two cooking templates
to guide you in getting the batter into the muffin pan. Dr. Jernigan's
"NFB cornbread" recipe is included in print and Braille and the whole
kit sells
for $15.

The sale items are the carbon-fiber, rigid long white cane with metal
glide tip (available in sizes from 49 through 69 inches in two-inch
increments) and
the solitaire and “Fox & Geese” board games. The carbon-fiber, long
white canes are on sale for $15, and the Solitaire and “Fox & Geese”
games are on sale
for $10. To place an order for any of the above items, please contact
the Independence Market by calling 410-659-9314, extension 2216, or by
emailing
independencemarket at nfb.org.

Meet Our 2021 Teachers of Tomorrow:

The National Federation of the Blind is excited to announce the class
of 2021 Teachers of Tomorrow. This is an immersive, professional
development program
that connects teachers of blind and low-vision students to the lived
experiences of blind people, equipping participants with knowledge
about the skills
and attitudes that can help students thrive in a school and beyond. Meet the
2021 Teachers of Tomorrow
!

Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research:

Volume 11 Number 1
 of our Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research is now available!
The tenth anniversary of our publication of this important online,
scholarly journal
is celebrated in “
Why Publish the Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research?
” by Braille Monitor editor Gary Wunder. Other topics covered in this
issue include:
Changing Attitudes about Visual Impairment in the College Classroom,
The Validation of the Actigraph GT3X Step Counter in Youth Who Are Blind,
and
Natural Order of Braille Contractions.

BELL Academy:

We are once again excited to be offering our National Federation of
the Blind BELL® Academy, In-Home Edition, for the summer of 2021. This
year, students
will be organized into classes based on their prior knowledge of the
Braille code, which means we will be better able to offer challenging
and fun content
for Braille learners of all levels. The NFB BELL Academy is
appropriate for students ages four through twelve; applications for
the 2021 program will be
opening later this month.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

(all times eastern)

list of 9 items
•
February 8:
Washington Seminar
 Great Gathering-In
•
March 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
•
March 24-26: Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium
•
March 31:
Scholarship application
 deadline
•
April 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
•
April 15:
Bolotin Awards
 nominations deadline
•
May 2: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
•
June 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
•
July 6-11: NFB National Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana
list end



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