[IL-Talk] President Riccobono's notebook for the week of September 4

Fri Sep 4 15:11:00 UTC 2026

Critical Actions:

September Presidential Release Available:

Access and share the latest Presidential Release: 

*
<https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2026-08/presidential_release_september_
2026_chapter_version_final.mp3> Presidential Release #563, September 2026
(Audio for Chapters)
*
<https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases/tran
scripts/presidential-release-563> Presidential Release #563, September 2026
(Chapter Transcript)
*	And IYMI:
<https://www.youtube.com/live/pF8k8oeRdp4?si=j0ztP68wlkR-hBkf&t=404>
Presidential Release Live from 9/3/26 is on YouTube 

News:

Staff Leadership Transition:

We recently announced that Anil Lewis, executive director of Blindness
Initiatives, will be retiring from his staff position to accept an executive
leadership role with an agency serving blind people. We support this
transition as an important opportunity for Anil to bring his experience,
expertise, and Federation philosophy to this new professional chapter. Read
the full announcement:
<https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-announces-sta
ff-leadership-transition> National Federation of the Blind Announces Staff
Leadership Transition.

Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act, H.R. 8884:

The Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act, H.R. 8884, was
passed by the House on Thursday, July 23. This bill authorizes the Social
Security Administration to conduct demonstration projects within the Social
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. One of those demonstration
projects could be a version of the Blind Americans Return to Work Act. H.R.
8884 has been transmitted to the Senate, where it must also be passed before
it is able to be signed into law by the president. Senator Eric Schmitt of
Missouri, the sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, is hoping to move
the already-passed House bill through the Senate via unanimous consent. In
order for the bill to pass the Senate via unanimous consent, we need to get
every senator on board with this legislation. For that, we need your help.
Please contact the offices for both of your US senators and ask them to
support the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act, H.R. 8884.

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Relocated:

In August, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
(OSERS) was officially relocated to the Department of Health and Human
Services. This restructuring comes as a result of the executive order to
eliminate the Department of Education. From what we have learned, we believe
that OSERS is being moved in its entirety. This means that there should be
no reduction in programs or services offered by OSERS. While this is not the
outcome we would have liked, it is also not the worst thing that could have
happened in the restructuring of the Department of Education. We will
continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed of any changes. 

Letters to AI Companies Regarding the Accessibility of the Products Produced
by their Platforms:

Over the past two weeks, we have been sending letters to the top AI
companies in the country (Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and
xAI), urging them to ensure that their AI-assisted coding tools are
nonvisually accessible. We further have insisted that these companies train
their AI models to produce only accessible content. These letters were sent
as part of our execution strategy for
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#16> Resolution 2026-16; the
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/letter-anthrop
ic-regarding-their-ai-platforms> letter to Anthropic can be read in full on
our  <https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements> Policy
Statements page.

Join Team NFB for Philadelphia Race Weekend:

Make your miles matter by running with Team NFB during Philadelphia Race
Weekend and help create a world of opportunity for blind people. Whether you
are an experienced runner or taking on a new challenge, your participation
will help support programs and advocacy that expand access, independence,
and opportunity.

Philadelphia Race Weekend Events:

. Philadelphia Marathon - Sunday, November 22

. Philadelphia Half Marathon - Saturday, November 21

. Rothman Orthopaedics 8K - Saturday, November 21

Team members will receive fundraising support such as toolkits and
contribution pages, race-day camaraderie, and the opportunity to make a
meaningful impact while achieving their personal running goals.

To learn more or register, please contact Rachel Held at
<mailto:rheld at nfb.org> rheld at nfb.org or 410-659-9314, extension 2423.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

*	October 27: Virtual Career Fair;
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/employment> nfb.org/employment

*	November 3: Election Day; Blind Voter Survey for mid-term elections,
plan to submit your experience at
<file:///C:/Users/LamkinSeth/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Conte
nt.Outlook/PXN5EKPU/nfb.org/vote> nfb.org/vote

*	November 18-20:
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/employment/dare-be-remarkable> Dare to Be
Remarkable
*	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, 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.