[IL-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of August 23

Wed Aug 24 10:27:34 UTC 2022

Critical Actions:

Final Call-Host the October Presidential Release LIVE:

President Riccobono is taking his monthly message on the road. By chapter,
affiliate, or even region, submit a brief proposal to have the October
Presidential Release broadcasted LIVE in your area. We will come to you!

In addition to letting us know why it would be important to your chapter or
group for us to come to you, please be sure to include the following
logistical details:

*	Who - Who will be organizing the release? Will it be your chapter,
affiliate, group of chapters, or affiliate division??
*	Where - Would the release be hosted at a community center,
restaurant, gym, or at a different sort of location?
*	What - What are some unique stories or reasons that set your group
apart from the rest?

Remember that this opportunity is available to all chapters and affiliates
no matter the size of the group or where you're located. Send in your
pitches to
<https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/h/pnyopqjfca09/?&cs=wh&v=b&to=membership@n
fb.org> membership at nfb.org no later than Sunday, August 28. We will announce
the site on the September release.

News:

Next Week-the September Presidential Release:

The next
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fresources%2Fpublicatio
ns-and-media%2Fpresidential-releases&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw070-a89QjTh-TJrWS
JM5Zl> Presidential Release of the National Federation of the Blind is
scheduled for September 1, 2022, at 8:00 p.m., eastern time. The Zoom
Meeting ID is 968 9179 1419 or use the following link:
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fzoom.us%2Fj%2F96891791419&sa=D&s
ntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2qgzydRCYRldfbmKSUvOe6> https://zoom.us/j/96891791419

NFB.org Website Maintenance this Weekend:

Reminder that
<http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw3rAR
gQNfKsAb7ub-51jLqM> nfb.org and subdomains of
<http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw3rAR
gQNfKsAb7ub-51jLqM> nfb.org will be undergoing a scheduled maintenance and
upgrade to Drupal 9 again this Saturday, August 27. If there is content you
need for a weekend chapter meeting, it may be helpful to download prior to
Saturday. Thank you for your understanding.

Voice of the Nation's Blind Blog Post:

Read the recent blog post, "
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fblog%2Fcontributor-edi
tor-monitoring-movement&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2wGWQqGXHcaEjSqwziwUJB> From
Contributor to Editor: Monitoring a Movement," by Gary Wunder.

Member Management Module Training:

All affiliate presidents and national division presidents should be signed
up for one of the three training classes this week. During that training and
in a subsequent email, plans for the remainder of the rollout will be
covered. That phase of the training will include chapter presidents and
membership coordinators, as well as affiliate and national division
membership coordinators. 

Blind Prisoner Resources:

Earlier this month the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado and two
blind prisoners resolved their suit against the Colorado Department of
Corrections. The requirements included in the settlement can be considered
best practices:
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fprograms-services%2Fle
gal-program%2Frulings-filings-and-letters%23blindprisoners&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=A
OvVaw2K9lrUeKQrS3z5dPfmMRfd>
https://nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/rulings-filings-and-letters#
blindprisoners.

Additionally, the NFB reviewed and endorsed the white paper, Project:
Effective Communication with Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind, and Low Vision
Incarcerated People, available at
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fprograms-services%2Fle
gal-program%2Fsupport-and-resources&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw3IM8dC-aJ4XH4Yn9gc
d9Fx> https://nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/support-and-resources.

Comments to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Regarding
Autonomous Vehicles:

On Friday, August 19, we submitted
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fprograms-services%2Fad
vocacy%2Fpolicy-statements%2Fcomments-nhtsa-regarding-ford-and-gm-requests&s
a=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw20FnZKJPeDadzEn7zuQ4pW> comments to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding the development and
testing of fully autonomous vehicles. These comments were in response to
petitions from Ford and General Motors to be exempt from certain Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards as they pertain to autonomous vehicles. The
exemption requests included features in the area of brake pedals, rearview
mirrors and backup cameras, and positioning of windshield wipers and sun
visors. Given the great benefit that fully autonomous vehicles will likely
have for blind Americans, we reviewed this matter and believe that the
exemptions sought by Ford and GM should be granted in order to further the
development of fully autonomous vehicles. You can read our full comments on
this, and many other regulatory issues, on the
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnfb.org%2Fprograms-services%2Fad
vocacy%2Fpolicy-statements&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw0EXlbeWMG6kvuG4KNGNuOl>
policy statements page of our website.

Attention Job Seekers and Employers:

The NFB Employment Committee is hosting a fall virtual career fair on
October 26, 2022, between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m., eastern. Mark your calendars;
details soon to follow.

Also, don't forget to join us on Friday, September 9, at 8:00 p.m., eastern,
for the next in our Where the Blind Work webinar series, highlighting blind
workers in blue-collar jobs in our upcoming segment.

Join Zoom Meeting

<https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fzoom.us%2Fj%2F98058249388&sa=D&s
ntz=1&usg=AOvVaw1WhRhzhx_vYnvQWNAoQ0Yu> https://zoom.us/j/98058249388

Meeting ID: 980 5824 9388
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,98058249388# US (Washington DC)
+13092053325,,98058249388# US

For more information, please contact Maurice Peret, coordinator of career
mentoring and employment programs at
<https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/h/pnyopqjfca09/?&cs=wh&v=b&to=mperet@nfb.o
rg> mperet at nfb.org or at 410-659-9314, extension 2350.

Qualified Charitable Distributions from Individual Retirement Accounts Avoid
Taxes:

Just a quick tip: Now might be a good time to ask people to consider a
qualified charitable distribution to your state affiliate or our national
office. You might say something like:  

Do you know how to give and avoid taxes on your required minimum
distribution from your retirement account? Simply direct your IRA custodian
to send a gift directly to the charity and avoid paying taxes on the income
from your required minimum distribution. Almost everyone over
seventy-and-one-half years of age can benefit from this tax savings tool.

Please consider a gift from your individual retirement account to the
National Federation of the Blind. Your IRA custodian will need our employer
identification number (EIN), which is 02-0259978, and our street address,
which is 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230.

Your gift will support vital programs like our Braille Enrichment for
Literacy and Learning Academies, free white canes, and more help to turn
dreams into reality. Thank you so very much for considering a qualified
charitable distribution. We can't succeed without you.

If you have questions or would like more information, please reach out to
Patti Chang at 410-659-9314, extension 2422. If you have already given to
the National Federation of the Blind, we thank you for your generosity.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

(all times eastern)

*	August 31: Deadline for affiliates to request Action Fund Braille
calendars
*	September 1: Presidential Release
*	January 30, 2023: Great Gathering-In
*	March 23, 2023: Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium
*	July 1-6, 2023: National Convention; Houston, Texas

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