[Mn-at-large] Fwd: NFB President's Notebook - week of 09/18/2017
David B Andrews
dandrews at visi.com
Tue Sep 19 02:20:25 UTC 2017
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 09/18/2017
Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2017 20:58:47 +0000
From: President, National Federation of the Blind
<OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
To: President, National Federation of the Blind
<OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
President’s Notebook
National Federation of the Blind
Mark A. Riccobono
officeofthepresident at nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>
(410) 659-9314
Dear Fellow Federationists,
Thank you for your patience while the phones at the national office were
out much of last week. This was a major failure on behalf of our
provider, and we are now working to put in new backup plans for the future.
We are currently reviewing our archives to make sure we have all
Federation constitutions on file—affiliates, national divisions,
chapters, and divisions at the local level. This is a reminder that all
constitutional changes at the local level need to be approved by the
affiliate and then forwarded to the President of the Federation for
final assurance that the changes follow the charter of affiliation from
the National Federation of the Blind. We will be reaching out to
Federation leaders with more details about this review soon.
Last week our National Association of Blind Merchants hosted the BLAST
conference in Nashville. Many great programmatic events took place and
much Federation building was accomplished. During the conference, the
National Federation of the Blind was recognized for its long-standing
work to protect and build the Randolph-Sheppard program. Congratulations
to all of us for our work to continue to advance policies and programs
that enhance business opportunities for the blind. As we continue to
seek twenty-first-century business opportunities for blind people, we
should continue to share ideas about what the future of employment and
entrepreneurship for the blind might be. Thanks to the leaders of our
division for continuing to build the Federation.
Last week we released a process for gathering information about blind
individuals who receive benefits under the DACA program
<https://nfb.org/daca>. This has raised a number of questions from some
Federation members. I wanted the leadership to be well versed about what
we are or are not doing, so I have put together the following Q&A so you
can best answer questions from members of the Federation. The Q&A is
also attached to this email.
Why is the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) taking a position
on a non-blindness political issue such as immigration policy?
The National Federation of the Blind**has not taken a position on
immigration policy or even the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA) program specifically. We are aware that a number of NFB members
receive benefits under this program, and we are seeking to understand
who these blind people are and what, if any, support they may need as
blind people.
Will National Federation of the Blind use the DACA questionnaire
data to advocate a particular political position on immigration?
No. To the extent that immigration procedures unfairly disadvantage
blind people—such as online forms that are inaccessible—the National
Federation of the Blind has an interest in the programmatic aspects of
immigration policy.
What is National Federation of the Blind 's policy statement around
DACA?
Currently, the National Federation of the Blind does not have a policy
statement pertaining to DACA.
Why has the Federation come out against the Trump administration on
a non-blindness issue?
We have not opposed or affirmed the administration's position. Here is
the statement from our online form: "The National Federation of the
Blind is collecting the following information to better understand the
impact of the administration’s recent decision to rescind the Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program among the blind in the
United States."
Does filling out the National Federation of the Blind’s
questionnaire put DACA recipients at a greater risk for immigration
enforcement?
No. DACA recipients have already self-identified to the Department of
Homeland Security, the US Citizenship and Immigration Service, and other
relevant federal agencies by applying to the DACA program. The
information the Federation is collecting is less comprehensive than that
which federal agencies already have on file. As specified in our form,
“The National Federation of the Blind will not share individual DREAMer
stories or personally identifiable information with members of Congress,
administration officials, or other relevant stakeholder organizations
without your prior written consent.”
Should we welcome DACA recipients at our chapter meetings?
Yes. As the largest vehicle for collective action for the blind in the
United States, the National Federation of the Blind is open to, and
welcoming of, all blind people who are interested in adding their voice,
energy, time, and talents to our collective effort. The NFB is committed
to enabling all blind people to live the lives we want, this includes
DACA recipients. DACA recipients should not be singled out, nor treated
any differently than other chapter members or visitors. Diversity is
part of the strength of our membership, and we should continue to value
diversity in the work we undertake.
News:
NHTSA Event:
Last week, I attended a Vision for Safety
<https://www.nhtsa.gov/automated-vehicles/vision-safety> event held by
the US Department of Transportation where Secretary Elaine Chao
announced new guidelines for autonomous vehicles
<https://www.nhtsa.gov/technology-innovation/automated-vehicles>. I
spoke at the event, held at Mcity on the University of Michigan campus,
and my remarks are available on our blog
<https://nfb.org/president-riccobono-speaks-importance-accessibility-autonomous-vehicles>.
Cardtronics ATM Testing:
As a reminder, Cardtronics ATM testing commenced on September 1. To
date, the NFB has received 32 completed tests, and 568 ATMs remain to be
tested. We aim to have all tests completed by October 15. Please
remember that the first ten affiliates that successfully complete their
tests will be given a redemption code for one copy of KNFB Reader for
Windows that they can use as a door prize at an upcoming convention.
Thank you to all our volunteer testers for committing to this important
project.
eatsa Agreement:
TRE Legal Practice, representing NFB members Darian Smith and Serena
Olsen, and Disability Rights Associates representing the ACB have
negotiated a settlement with eatsa, an innovative, automated restaurant
chain, to make their foodservice kiosks, mobile apps, and food-pickup
cubbies accessible.
Meet the Blind Month Promotional Materials:
Meet the Blind Month provides many opportunities to share printed
materials about the National Federation of the Blind as you are out in
the community attending and hosting events. We have available and
recommend the general NFB brochure, which is now also available in
Spanish, as well as Braille alphabet cards, Kernel Books, and the
“Courtesy Rules of Blindness.” We have newly updated senior brochures if
those make sense for your event. Please contact the Independence Market
at independencemarket at nfb.org <mailto:independencemarket at nfb.org>or call
(410) 659-9314, extension 2216, to order.
Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium:
Save the dates March 22-23 for the 2018 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law
Symposium, "Fifty Years After tenBroek: The Right to Live in the World
Today and Tomorrow," at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan
Institute. The symposium will feature keynote speakers, plenary
sessions, and workshops. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from and
network with many of the leading disability rights advocates from
throughout the United States!
All interested persons are invited to submit proposals for a one-hour
workshop on one or more topics of your choice. The NFB Steering
Committee will review and select submissions to create an exciting,
well-balanced program. All workshop proposals are due via email to
Stacie Dubnow
<mailto:sdubnow at nfb.org?subject=2018%20Jacobus%20tenBroek%20Disability%20Law%20Symposium%20Workshop%20Proposal%20>,
by Friday, October 13, 2017. Individuals who submit a proposal will be
notified of the NFB’s decision by December 1, 2017.
Gregg Harper Article:
Representative Gregg Harper has had an article in support of the TIME
Act published in the September 11 issue of /The Hill/, “Let’s Unlock the
Untapped Potential among Millions of Disabled People
<https://harper.house.gov/the-hill-lets-unlock-the-untapped-potential-among-millions-of-disabled-people-by-rep-gregg-harper-r-miss/>.”
NAGDU Releases V 2.0 of Mobile App:
The National Association of Guide Dog Users has released an updated
version of the division’s mobile app. This new version contains updated
information on each state statute, information on Canadian regulations,
specific information for industries of concern to service dog users, and
much more.
Dates to Keep in Mind:
* Fall Conventions <https://nfb.org/state-conventions>
* November 1, 2017: 2018 Scholarship Application
<http://nfb.org/scholarships> period begins
* November 6-8, 2017: Dare to Be Remarkable Conference
<https://nfb.org/dare-be-remarkable-call-presentations>, Baltimore,
Maryland
* November 15, 2017: 2018 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award competition
<https://nfb.org/bolotin-award-main> begins, deadline March 31
* January 29, 2018: Great Gathering-In, Washington, District of Columbia
* March 22-23, 2018: Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium,
Baltimore, Maryland
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 | officeofthepresident at nfb.org
<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>
National Federation of the Blind <https://nfb.org/>
Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind> Twitter
<https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice> Youtube
<https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind>
The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and
friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every
day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
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