[IL-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of July 20

[president at nfbofillinois.org]

News:

National Convention Highlights:

Thanks again to our members, sponsors, exhibitors, and everyone who made
#NFB26 a success. The full convention highlights will be posted at
nfb.org/convention in the coming weeks. Access the following highlights
available now:

*
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/banquet-speeches/resonance-a
mplification-and-interplay-counterpoint> 2026 Banquet Speech, "Resonance,
Amplification, and Interplay: The Counterpoint of the Organized Blind
Movement" (HTML)
*	 <https://www.youtube.com/live/qZDDY8QEj-o?t=5911s> 2026 Banquet
Speech, "Resonance, Amplification, and Interplay: The Counterpoint of the
Organized Blind Movement" (HTML)
*
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/presidential-reports/2026-pr
esidential-report> 2026 Presidential Report (HTML)
*	 <https://www.youtube.com/live/MtsjBQwWCTg?t=1132s> 2026
Presidential Report (YouTube)
*
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
> 2026 Resolutions
*	 <https://www.youtube.com/@NationsBlind/streams> General Sessions
and Board of Directors Meeting on YouTube

 

Monarch Discount Available to NFB Members:

As a thank-you for helping shape the development of Monarch, NFB members can
purchase the device at a special promotional price of $12,900-a savings of
$2,600-through December 31, 2026. Members can find discount details in their
<https://nfb.org/member_profile/login> Member Profile at nfb.org. Purchases
must be made through APH Customer Service. Please note that if a member
contacts you and says that they do not see the member benefits, their
membership may not be updated in the Membership Management module. If you or
a chapter president has questions, please contact
<mailto:membership at nfb.org> membership at nfb.org.

 

Accessible Zoom Recorders Webinar:

Join the CENA team for the "Record with Confidence with Accessible Zoom
Recorders" webinar on Tuesday, July 28, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., Eastern, via
the Zoom platform, as we explore the professional-grade Handy Recorders from
Zoom. These portable recorders deliver excellent recording quality, offer
powerful features for serious audio work, and provide menu accessibility
that sets them apart from many other high-quality portable recorders.
Whether you record interviews, music, training sessions, nature and ambient
sounds, or podcasts, Zoom Handy Recorders give blind users a flexible and
accessible way to capture high-quality audio with confidence.

Register at
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/traini
ngs/accessibility-webinar-registration>
https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/trainin
gs/accessibility-webinar-registration.

 

Texas v. Kennedy Update:

Congratulations to the NFB of Missouri for persuading their attorney general
to withdraw from the Texas v. Kennedy lawsuit. Missouri is the fourth state
to withdraw, meaning that half of the states involved in support of Texas in
the amended lawsuit have officially withdrawn from the suit. We hope that
more states will follow as we know that Missouri loves company. 

 

Congressional August Recess:

The United States House of Representatives goes on its annual August recess
beginning at the end of this week. The Senate recess will begin on August
10. During the recess is a great time to schedule in-district meetings, or
to invite your representative/senator to speak at one of your chapter
meetings. 

 

NFB-NEWSLINE Improvements:

The latest NFB-NEWSLINER iOS app includes significant accessibility,
reading, and navigation improvements. VoiceOver now returns to the last
selected article, and iPad users can choose either the full iPad layout or
the familiar iPhone-style layout. Article formatting, TV listings, channel
navigation, and the Share Sheet have also been improved. Hundreds of new
magazines, including back issues for many titles, are now available on both
iOS and Android. For more information, contact Jack Mendez at
<mailto:jmendez at nfb.org> jmendez at nfb.org. 

 

Dates to Keep in Mind:

*	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, August 5
*	Wednesday, November 4

 

Chapter Presidents Calls

*	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 advances the lives of its members and
all blind people in the United States. We know that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise
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.