[Mn-at-large] Fwd: NFB President's Notebook - week of 08/15/2016

[David Andrews]

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>President’s Notebook
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>National Federation of the Blind
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>Mark A. Riccobono
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><mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>officeofthepresident at nfb.org
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>(410) 659-9314
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>Dear Fellow Federationists,
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>The shine of the National Federation of the 
>Blind has never been brighter. Our team of 
>members and staff who participated in the 2016 
>Joint General Assemblies of the World Blind 
>Union and the International Council for the 
>Education of the Visually Impaired demonstrated 
>the Federation spirit and philosophy for eight 
>days of meetings in Orlando. The blind of the 
>world were greeted with blind hosts who showed 
>them around, gave spontaneous cane travel 
>lessons, and shared our empowering philosophy. 
> From the logistics to the presentations on the 
>main and breakout stages, the Federation showed 
>the best of what we have built as a movement. 
>Congratulations to Dr. Fred Schroeder who was 
>elected president of the World Blind Union and 
>who will now serve for the next four years in that office.
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>The work of the Federation continues as we move 
>into the fall convention season. I am looking 
>forward to welcoming another leadership seminar 
>to our headquarters this weekend, and I 
>anticipate a busy fall with travel to 
>conventions and new projects. In other words, 
>the work of the Federation is as active and forward looking as always.
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>Thank you for all you do.
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>News:
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>TIME Act Developments:
>There have been some exciting developments 
>regarding the TIME Act (Transitioning to 
>Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act) (H.R 
>188/S. 2001). Since our Washington Seminar in 
>January 2016, both the Republican and Democratic 
>parties have endorsed our bill in their 2016 
>platforms. Therefore, we should take this 
>opportunity to follow up with our legislators 
>and let them know that their parties support 
>this important initiative to repeal Section 
>14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act that 
>allows employers to pay disabled workers less than the minimum wage.
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>As you may be aware, members of the US House of 
>Representatives and Senate will soon be 
>returning to DC from their August recess. It is 
>crucial that we send them emails which let them 
>know that their party endorsed the TIME Act in 
>their platform and request them to cosponsor the 
>bill. Please copy Kimie Beverly at 
><mailto:KBeverly at nfb.org>KBeverly at nfb.org on any 
>email you send to your senators’ or 
>representative’s office so she can follow up with additional information.
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>Thornberry Thank You letters:
>We have had a tremendous response to our 
>thank-you-letter writing campaign to 
>Representative Mack Thornberry, chairman of the 
>House Committee on Armed Services. He included 
>our Space Available bill in the House version of 
>the National Defense Authorization Act which 
>would allow all blind or otherwise disabled 
>medically discharged veterans to participate in 
>the Space Available program. Currently, only 
>those injured on or after September 23, 1996, 
>can participate in this program that allows 
>retirees and active duty military to travel for 
>free on military owned or operated aircraft. We 
>have heard that Congress is currently 
>conferencing this portion of the National 
>Defense Authorization Act and we need to give 
>Chairman Thornberry as much leverage as 
>possible. Please fill out the letter at 
><https://nfb.org/thank-you-thornberry>https://nfb.org/thank-you-thornberry; 
>it will only take about two minutes. Then share 
>the link on Facebook and Twitter.
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>A press release thanking Chairman Thornberry has 
>been issued. You can read the whole release at 
><https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-texas-commends-congressman-thornberry-support-veterans-disabilities>https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-texas-commends-congressman-thornberry-support-veterans-disabilities. 
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>Membership Cards:
>We’ve run into a problem regarding our 
>membership cards. We are out of stock in the 
>Independence Market. This is a good problem to 
>have because it means that our chapters are busy 
>recruiting new members into the Federation. We 
>will send out an announcement once the cards are 
>back in stock. Until then, let’s keep building 
>the Federation and filling out the <http://www.nfb.org/oaform>new member form.
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>Also, remember that you can order other 
>materials through the Independence Market for 
>your Meet the Blind Month events. Now is the 
>time to ramp up your planning and get the word out.
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>Dates to Keep in Mind:
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>·        <https://nfb.org/state-conventions>Fall Conventions
>·        August 31: Deadline for experienced NFB 
>BELL Academy affiliate representatives to 
>register for the NFB BELL Academy Training 
>Seminar, September 30-October 2, 2016. Please 
>choose: Advanced or Novice/Intermediate, 
><https://nfb.org/bell-seminar-registration-form>registration form
>·        September 8: Deadline for prospective 
>NFB BELL Academy affiliates to apply to host an 
>NFB BELL Academy for the summer of 2017, 
><https://nfb.org/bell-program-online-application>application form
>·        September 15: Deadline for 
>representatives from accepted prospective NFB 
>BELL Academy affiliates to register for the NFB 
>BELL Academy Training Seminar, October 20-23, 
>2016. Please choose: Novice/Intermediate, 
><https://nfb.org/bell-seminar-registration-form>registration form
>·        September 30-October 2: NFB BELL 
>Academy Training Seminar (Advanced) in Baltimore, Maryland
>·        October 20-24: NFB BELL Academy 
>Training Seminar (Novice/Intermediate) in Baltimore, Maryland
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>The National Federation of the Blind knows that 
>blindness is not the characteristic that defines 
>you or your future. Every day we raise the 
>expectations of blind people, because low 
>expectations create obstacles between blind 
>people and our dreams. You can live the life you 
>want; blindness is not what holds you back.
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>Mark A. Riccobono, President
>National Federation of the Blind
>200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
>Baltimore, Maryland 21230
>Phone: (410) 659-9314
>Fax: (410) 659-5129
>Email: <mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>officeofthepresident at nfb.org
>Twitter: @Riccobono and @NFB_Voice
>Web: <http://www.nfb.org/>www.nfb.org
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>The National Federation of the Blind knows that 
>blindness is not the characteristic that defines 
>you or your future. Every day we raise the 
>expectations of blind people, because low 
>expectations create obstacles between blind 
>people and our dreams. You can live the life you 
>want; blindness is not what holds you back.
>
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