[IL-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of March 22

[Marilyn Green]

News:

National Convention Registration:

A number of you have asked about registering members for convention
who do not have an email account of their own. We strongly encourage
you to not register
these members using your email address. This will likely add to or
overwrite your contact information in our database. Instead, you can
complete an accessible,
fillable, PDF registration form on the member’s behalf that may be
sent to the national office via email or printed and mailed via US
mail. This form will
be available on our convention information page at
www.nfb.org/convention
 by the end of March. Those members wishing to make a donation to the
NFB to defray convention expenses may include a check when mailing in
their registration
form. Email and snail mail address information will be included on the
registration form.

Apply for 2021 Bolotin Awards:

The National Federation of the Blind is accepting nominations of
individuals or organizations who are a positive force in the lives of
blind people and
help us transform dreams into reality. Each application must include a
letter of recommendation.
Learn more and submit a nomination for the 2021 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards.

Hotel Contracts—Please Read Them Carefully:

Recently, hotel contract drafts sometimes include a provision that
would make the person signing them personally liable for the contract.
They might read
something like, “The below signatory accepts responsibility for
compliance with all provisions herein.” Please read contracts
thoroughly. You should not
take on personal liability for affiliate contracts. Contact Patti
Chang with questions at
pchang at nfb.org
 or at (410) 659-9314, extension 2422.

2021 NFB BELL® Coordinator Information Needed:

The 2021 NFB BELL Academy In-Home Edition applications are open, and
families are making their summer plans. We want to make sure families
in our NFB BELL
Academies are connected with local Federationists who can answer
questions and be mentors for them for years to come. We also want to
make sure that contact
information is being handled responsibly. Please send the name and
contact information of the individual who should receive contact
information for your
state’s NFB BELL Academy applicants to
bell at nfb.org
 by Friday, March 27.

New Resource for Blind Parents of School-Age Children:

The NFB’s new resource, “A Blind Parent’s Essential Guide to Effective
Communication from Public and Private Schools,” is now available at
https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/advocacy-resources/blind-parents-essential-guide-effective-communication.
Please share this guide with other blind parents in your network.

Access Technology Affordability Act:

Last week proved to be another productive week in gaining cosponsors
for the Access Technology Affordability Act. In the House we had four
new cosponsors
sign on: Chuy Garcia (IL-4), Tim Burchett (TN-2), Jan Schakowsky
(IL-9), and John Moolenaar (MI-4). This brings our total number of
House cosponsors to
66. In the Senate, Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri signed on as
cosponsor bringing our total number of cosponsors in that chamber up
to thirteen. Well done
Illinois, Tennessee, Michigan, and Missouri! Keep up the great work!
It is essential that we continue to build support for this bill. We
will be sending
out a legislative alert with further details early this week.

Latest Blog Post: “Finding a Therapist Who Moved Beyond My Blindness”:

The Voice of the Nation's Blind Blog highlights personal experiences
and stories of blind people. In the recent article, Gary Wunder shares
his experience
needing and finding the assistance of a therapist. Read the blog,
"Finding a Therapist Who Moved Beyond My Blindness."
 If you are interested in sharing a story, please email
CommunicationsTeam at nfb.org.

Donated Services Recommendations:

Your help is needed to recommend individuals who should participate in
our donated services tracking. Please recommend volunteers for
appointment by the
President who contribute hours regularly to the National Federation of
the Blind and who can and will submit the number of hours they
volunteer into a
simple internet form. This is an important item in helping us maintain
our high charitable ratings. Think of people on your board, committee
chairs, and
rank-and-file members who steadily work for us without compensation.
Please send your recommendations to Patti Chang at
pchang at nfb.org
 and include the full name and email address for each individual you
are suggesting.

Apple Mobile Development Seminar:

On Wednesday, March 31, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. eastern, the National
Federation of the Blind, in collaboration with Apple, is hosting an
app development
seminar focused on accessibility. Anyone who develops or is
considering developing apps is encouraged to register for this Zoom
event. There are also limited
opportunities to meet directly with Apple engineers to discuss your
app and have your accessibility questions answered. Take advantage of
this free opportunity,

register for the mobile application development seminar
 today!

New Podcast Episode: A Conversation with the Survivor Task Force:

Nation’s Blind Podcast hosts, Anil and Melissa, talk with Marci
Carpenter and Daphne Mitchell of the NFB Survivor Task Force. They
discuss who is a survivor,
specific challenges and misconceptions blind survivors face, and more.
Listen to
the latest Nation’s Blind Podcast
 now.

National Federation of the Blind Engineering Quotient (NFB EQ) Program:

NFB EQ applications are now open. NFB EQ is going virtual July 5-30.
High school students can join us on a month-long adventure into
engineering and problem-solving.
No specific level of engineering experience is required. Engage in
activities designed to strengthen knowledge and grow interests. The
deadline to apply
is May 10. Learn more and apply now at
www.nfb.org/eq.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

(all times eastern)

list of 12 items
•
March 24-26: Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium
• March 31:
Scholarship application
 deadline
• April 5: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
• April 15:
Bolotin Awards
 nominations deadline
•
April 15: Survivor Task Force Open Call
• April 18: Survivor Task Force Open Call
• May 1:
Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award
  nominations deadline
• May 3: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
•
May 7:
NFB BELL Academy application
 deadline (for session one)
• May 10:
NFB EQ application
 deadline
• June 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
• July 6-10: NFB National Convention, anywhere and everywhere
list end



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