[Mn-at-large] Fwd: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 08/ 21/2017 - Sent E arly!

Sat Aug 19 02:37:30 UTC 2017

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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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>This week I have been thinking a lot about how 
>we carry out the activities of the National 
>Federation of the Blind and what broader impact 
>the Federation philosophy might have on society. 
>We value equality, and we work to eliminate 
>discrimination based on the characteristic of 
>blindness. Although I would argue that our 
>philosophy about the impact of emphasizing 
>certain characteristics over others applies to 
>many other aspects of our society. It is 
>certainly relevant this week as the subject of 
>race has again become a dividing factor in our society.
>
>This week we put two messages on the rooftop 
>sign at the National Federation of the Blind. 
>The first is â€œReject Racism,â€ and the second 
>is â€œStand Against Hate.â€ Both of these are 
>consistent with the spirit and values we attempt 
>to live in the Federation. The National 
>Federation of the Blind has helped me to better 
>relate to those whose backgrounds and 
>experiences were different than mine. I have had 
>the opportunity to spend time with blind people 
>who have had no opportunities and are struggling 
>to get by. I have spent time with blind people 
>who have faced significant discrimination that 
>continues to hold them back. I have spent time 
>with blind people who think they have never 
>experienced discrimination and they wonder what 
>it feels like. And I have spent time with blind 
>people who believed that they made it on their 
>own and that the work of our movement gave them 
>no advantage. It is the Federation that taught 
>me to find the common bond we have in our 
>experiences as blind people and to use that as a 
>tool for advancing opportunities for all blind 
>people, including myself. By seeking first to 
>relate to others, the Federation has opened up 
>opportunities for me to engage with outstanding 
>people that I might have otherwise never had the chance to learn from.
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>As we seek to carry out the work of the 
>Federation within our great nation, I encourage 
>us to use the learning we have gained from the 
>Federation to teach others how they might 
>approach building our communities in better 
>ways. Equality is a value we hold and it is 
>something that we understand well based on our 
>shared experience as blind people. This week I 
>have been asking myself how we might use that 
>knowledge to help others recognize that same 
>value in the space they occupy on a daily basis. 
>As we struggle to figure out that tricky 
>question, I would suggest that one of the best 
>things we can do is continue to live the 
>Federation philosophy in everything we do.
>
>We are sending the notebook on Friday so we can 
>share with you the information about how to 
>observe the eclipse on Monday in unique ways. 
>Please share your accounts of experiences with 
>the eclipse as it would make interesting content for our publications.
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>News:
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>Solar Eclipse:
>Next Monday, a total solar eclipse will pass 
>across the United States. 
><http://eclipsesoundscapes.org./>The eclipse 
>soundscape project is providing a unique 
>opportunity to experience the eclipse 
>nonvisually through haptic feedback using a 
>rumble map, and through audio descriptions 
>unlocked in real time as the eclipse moves 
>overhead. Due to the change in light, nocturnal 
>animals stir into action, while diurnal animals 
>settle. As the sunâ€™s light re-emerges, it 
>often triggers a â€œfalse dawn chorus,â€ 
>recordings of which will be gathered from across 
>the country and shared in the wake of the 
>eclipses passing. An accessible iPhone app is 
>already available, and an Android app is coming 
>soon. For those without a smartphone, MP3 files 
>will be available from the eclipse soundscape projectâ€™s website.
>
>Eclipse Booklets:
>We were very pleased to be able to circulate 321 
>copies of Getting a Feel for Eclipses, a 
>tactile-graphic guide to the solar eclipse, to 
>members in over a dozen states. These tactile 
>graphics are nonvisual representations of how 
>eclipses occur, what they look like, and the 
>path that the great American eclipse will take 
>across the United States on Monday. The guides 
>were designed by the College of Charleston and 
>NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual 
>Institute, and produced by 
><http://www.Hapticallyspeaking.com>Hapticallyspeaking.com.
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>Origins of the NFB Pledge:
>A recent request was made to the tenBroek 
>Library staff to research how the National 
>Federation of the Blind pledge was created. 
>Federationists recite our pledge at every 
>chapter meeting, state convention, and national 
>convention. The pledge that we all know and use 
>today came about during the 1974 NFB National 
>convention. Dr. Kenneth Jernigan first spoke 
>about the idea of a formal pledge to show 
>oneâ€™s support for the organization during that 
>yearâ€™s Presidential Report. He also hosted a 
>special reception during that convention, 
>complete with a receiving line including the 
>entire NFB Executive Committee, now known as the 
>NFB Board of Directors. Every member who walked 
>through that receiving line received an official 
>NFB membership card with these words printed on the back:
>I pledge to participate actively in the efforts 
>of the National Federation of the Blind to 
>achieve equality, opportunity, and security for 
>the blind; to support the policies and programs 
>of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.
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>Reminders:
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>Affiliate Cardtronics Testing:
>We have a number of states that have not replied 
>regarding Cardtronics testing. If we do not hear 
>from you by close of business on Monday, we will 
>assume that you intended to opt out and will 
>seek to reassign testing in your state.
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>National Divisions:
>Annual reports from national divisions were due 
>to me on August 15. A number of divisions have 
>not submitted reports. Please plan to do so 
>before the end of this week as the report is already past due.
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>Dates to Keep in Mind:
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>    * <https://nfb.org/state-conventions>Fall Conventions
>    * September 12-17, 2017: 
> <http://blindmerchants.org/blast-2017/>BLAST, Nashville, Tennessee
>    * November 1, 2017: 
> <http://nfb.org/scholarships>2018 scholarship application period begins
>    * November 6-8, 2017: 
> <https://nfb.org/dare-be-remarkable-call-presentations>Dare 
> to Be Remarkable Conference, Baltimore, Maryland
>    * January 29, 2018: Great Gathering-In, Washington, District of Columbia
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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.
>
>Mark A. Riccobono
>President
>200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
>(410) 659-9314 | 
><mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>officeofthepresident at nfb.org
>
>
><https://nfb.org/>
>National Federation of the Blind
>
>
> 
><http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind>
>Facebook
>     <https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice>
>Twitter
>     <https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind>
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>
>
>The National Federation of the Blind is a 
>community of members and friends who believe in 
>the hopes and dreams of the nationâ€™s blind. 
>Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
>
>
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