[IL-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of July 19

[Marilyn Green]

Critical Actions:

NFB21 Convention Highlights and Congratulations:

The 2021 NFB National Convention highlights will be available at
nfb.org/nfb21.
Access the presidential report, resolutions, banquet speech, and more.
During convention, the National Federation of the Blind presents
several scholarships
and awards. Congratulations to the winners:

·       Jordana M. Engebretsen of Idaho was named the
2021 Distinguished Educator of Blind Students
 at the board of directors meeting on Wednesday, July 7.

·       Thirty outstanding scholars received their
NFB scholarships
 at the convention banquet, with Lizzy Muhammad-Park of Maryland
winning the top $12,000 Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship.

·       Six outstanding innovators were presented with the
Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards
 at the banquet, with the top award of $20,000 going to Eye Learn of
Detroit, Michigan.

News:

Federation at the US Senate Committee on Appropriations Regarding USPS:

National Federation of the Blind member Rania Dima testified on July 13 at the
Hearing to Review the FY 2022 Budget Request for the USPS Office of
Inspector General and USPS Service Issues
 before the US Senate Committee on Appropriations. Rania is introduced
by Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD), the chair of the subcommittee, at
approximately
one hour and eleven minutes into the video.  She testified on the
importance of the timely delivery of “free matter for the blind”
materials that are supposed
to be processed as first-class mail, and how the current delays are
impacting her ability to access Braille.
Read Rania’s story.

Plan to Attend the June Presidential Release—Captioning and Spanish Available:

Mark your calendars! The next Presidential Release of the National
Federation of the Blind will be Monday, August 2, at 8:00 p.m.,
eastern. After the remarks
there will be an opportunity for questions. Submit questions in advance to
cdanielsen at nfb.org
 and put PR507 in the subject line, or call 410-659-9314, extension
2473. Closed captions and Spanish interpretation will be available.
Zoom details coming
soon.

Upcoming Hearing on Phasing Out Subminimum Wages

On Wednesday, July 21, at 10:15 a.m., eastern, Anil Lewis, our
executive director for Blindness Initiatives, will be testifying in a
joint hearing before
the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections and the Subcommittee on
Civil Rights and Human Services. Both of these are subcommittees of
the House Education
and Labor Committee. More information on this hearing can be found at
https://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/phasing-out-subminimum-wages-supporting-the-transition-to-competitive-integrated-employment-for-workers-with-disabilities.

2021 Blind Driver Challenge Update: Meet Dan Parker:

Earlier this year, the National Federation of the Blind announced our
partnership with Cruise for the continued initiatives to accelerate
accessibility
with regard to autonomous vehicles and to sponsor Dan Parker in
breaking a world record this fall. We are racing to the record and
more.
Meet Dan Parker in this two-minute video.

NFB Surveys:

Please visit the
NFB’s legal webpage
 to participate in our many important surveys:

list of 6 items
• Rideshare Discrimination Survey
• Access to Digital Library Services Survey
• Education Technology Survey
• Unemployment Benefits Survey
• Access to COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Survey
• Travel Survey
list end

National Parents Day Is July 25:

The National Federation of the Blind knows that
blind parents
 are fully capable and have been successfully raising children for
generations. We strive to build a strong network for blind parents. As
a way to celebrate
National Parents Day, which is every year on the fourth Sunday of
July, access the
Blind Parents Connection Podcast,
a Blind Parent Education Initiative supported by the Gibney Family
Foundation. We are excited to bring you episodes that provide tips and
support for blind
parents, by blind parents.

NFB Apparel Is Now Available from the Independence Market!

The Independence Market is now carrying men’s and ladies’ apparel
consisting of NFB-logo polo shirts and jackets! The descriptions are
as follows:

Men’s cotton performance polo shirts: sizes small to 5XL (black, navy,
red) ($24.00)

Ladies’ cotton performance polo shirts: sizes extra small to 2XL
(black, navy, and red); 3XL in black and navy only ($24.00)

Men’s nylon, lined jackets: sizes small to 5XL (black, navy, red) ($30.00)

Ladies’ nylon, lined jackets: sizes extra small to 2XL (black, navy,
red); 3XL black only ($30.00)

Thanks to the Missouri Affiliate:

Thanks to the NFB of Missouri for a recent contribution to our NFB
BELL educational endeavors. We continue to build our movement
together.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

(all times eastern)

list of 7 items
• July 19-30: BELL Session 2
• August 2: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.
• August 9-20: BELL Session 3
• September 1: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.
• October 1: Presidential Release, 12:00 p.m.
• November 1: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.
• December 2: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.
list end



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