[IL-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of June 2

Tue Jun 2 18:52:37 UTC 2026

Convention:

Convention Agenda Is Available:

This year's convention agenda is ready! Currently the HTML version is
available at
<https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/2026-national-convention-a
genda>
nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/2026-national-convention-agenda.
This will be followed in quick succession by the English and Spanish Word,
.brf, and audio versions, which will be posted as they are finalized. The
first preconvention email to attendees that goes out later this week will
share all the digital formats. 

Calling All Door Prizes!:

The NFB door prize team is hard at work planning for this year's convention.
If your affiliate or division wants to donate to the in-person door prizes,
you can deliver it to Bennett Prows or Kenia Flores on the stage before or
during breaks of the general session. Please label the prize in Braille and
print so our team knows what it is and who donated it. If you are donating
cash, put it in an envelope labeled with the amount and who it is from-our
team wants to acknowledge your generosity.

Our registered virtual attendees are also eligible to win gift cards or
Independence Market gift certificates. Your affiliate, division, or chapter
can help the NFB with virtual door prizes by writing a check payable to
National Federation of the Blind and mailing it to 200 East Wells Street,
Baltimore, Maryland, 21230, Attention: Fiscal Services - Virtual DP and
write Virtual Door Prizes in the check memo. Also, please send an email to
<mailto:Prize at nfb.org> Prize at nfb.org to let us know to expect your
organization's contribution.

National Convention Career Fair:

The Employment Committee will host the in-person National Convention Career
Fair. This event connects employers ready to hire with jobseekers ready to
launch their careers, providing valuable networking opportunities.

Jobseekers: Complete the
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/employment/career-fair-jobseeker-registra
tion> jobseeker registration form by June 12. Walk-ins are welcome, but we
strongly encourage preregistration to receive employer and event
information.
Employers:  <https://nfb.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=644> Complete the
employer registration form by June 12.
For more information on the career fair, jobseekers should contact Michael
Beattie at  <mailto:michaelbeattie at yahoo.com> michaelbeattie at yahoo.com.
Employers, contact Manahil Jafri at  <mailto:manahiljafri at gmail.com>
manahiljafri at gmail.com.

News:

Independence Market Hours:

The Independence Market will be closed from July 1 through July 14. In
addition, leading up to convention, the showroom will be closed from June 22
through June 30. Our eCommerce system will not close and items will ship
while we are at convention.

Note that while the showroom is closed from June 22 through June 30,
customers can still stop by in person and place or pick up orders; however,
there will be nothing on display. We have one set of display items, and
these items will be packed during this timeframe. Thank you for your
understanding!

UPS Shipping for Independence Market Items:

Customers can now purchase items that are not eligible to be shipped via
Free Matter directly through our eCommerce site with UPS shipping. Some
notable products that fit this description include NFB-branded merchandise,
tumblers, Meta glasses, and other featured items.

Volunteers Needed for Independence Market During National Convention:

If you are interested in volunteering at the Independence Market during the
2026 National Convention, please contact Danielle McCann at
<mailto:dmccann at nfb.org> dmccann at nfb.org for more information. Opportunities
are available for demonstrators and storekeepers, and all assistance is
greatly appreciated.

Federation Sues Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human
Services Regarding Delay of Website Accessibility Rule:

On Thursday, May 21, the National Federation of the Blind filed a lawsuit
challenging the administration's abrupt delay of critical website
accessibility features designed to ensure blind people and people with other
disabilities can access essential government and healthcare services online.
The lawsuit challenges actions by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that postponed
long-anticipated compliance deadlines under federal disability rights laws,
without public notice or input. Regulations finalized by DOJ and HHS in
April and May 2024, after years of public engagement and rulemaking,
required state and local governments and those who receive federal funding
from HHS to make their websites and mobile applications accessible to people
with disabilities, including those who are blind and rely on screen readers
and other assistive technology. However, on April 20, 2026, and May 11,
2026, respectively, DOJ and HHS issued interim final rules delaying the
compliance deadlines by a year. You can read our
<https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-sues-governme
nt-over-delay-accessibility-rules> full press release regarding the DOJ and
HHS lawsuit in our  <https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room> Press Room. 

Department of Health and Human Services Section 504 Interim Final Rule
Response:

On May 11, the Department of Health and Human Services published an interim
final rule delaying the implementation of website and mobile application
accessibility regulations for Rehabilitation Act Section 504 covered
entities. Much like our response to the ADA Title II website rule delay, we
believe this postponement for implementation is completely unwarranted. I
encourage you to read our
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/comments-respo
nse-department-health-and-human-services> official response to the Health
and Human Services interim final rule that we submitted on Friday, May 29. 

ADA Title II Digital Accessibility Interim Final Rule - Submit Your
Comments:

This is a quick reminder that there is still time for you to submit your
individual comments in response to the Department of Justice's interim final
rule on website and mobile application accessibility for ADA Title
II-covered entities. As a reminder, we sent out an
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/legislative-priorities/legislati
ve-alerts/department-justice-delays> advocacy alert on this topic on May 17,
and we encourage you to read it and submit comments so that the DOJ
understands how critical digital accessibility is to us. 

Reminders:

Dates to Keep in Mind:

*	July 3-8: National Convention; Austin, Texas
*	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, June 11 and Sunday, June 14
*	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.