[MN-at-Large] Fwd: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 03/ 17/2020
David Andrews
dandrews920 at comcast.net
Wed Mar 18 02:29:13 UTC 2020
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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,
>
>A leadership quote I like goes something like,
>"You can't relate to a superhero, but you can
>identify with a real person who in times of
>crisis draws forth some extraordinary quality
>from within and triumphs but only after a
>struggle." These are times not just for
>superheroes but for each of us to come together
>and support each other. In the last week I have
>read some of the most beautiful posts and had
>some of the deepest conversations with people in
>this leadership group. It demonstrates to me the
>strength that each of you has and the power and
>love that we gain from bonding together. I am so
>grateful to have this leadership group in these uncertain times.
>
>You already know about the action of the board
>of directors to shut down all public meetings
>through Easter. Our training centers are closely
>monitoring the situation. The Colorado Center
>has already altered its operation based on local
>circumstances, and I expect our other centers
>will make similar modifications at some point.
>Our national office remains open at the moment,
>although we have shifted at-risk staff to remote
>work and reduced walk-in traffic and meetings at
>the building to minimize the risks. We have also
>increased our already-detailed cleaning
>procedures. I do not know about you, but I think
>the bones in my hands are starting to absorb hand sanitizer.
>
>Many of you have asked about the national
>convention. It is just too far away for us to
>make a realistic decision about our annual
>family reunion. We are putting plans in place
>for the convention and for an alternative plan,
>but it is too early to know anything. As you
>know, on an unrelated note, our convention
>registration system experienced some issues in
>the first couple days of implementation. That
>system is now being retested. We hope that it will be back online soon.
>
>There are a number of things that our chapters
>and affiliates can be doing to support and
>connect blind people. There are resources below
>that you should be aware of and share. For
>example, some affiliates have been nervous about
>jumping into the Zoom platform. Check out the
>great resource being made available from
>Jonathan Mosen. If you find it of value, drop Jonathan a note and thank him.
>
>If you find other ways the Federation can help
>make a difference, or if your affiliate is
>undertaking an interesting new project in light
>of the situation, please let me know or share it on the leadership listserv.
>
>Stay safe, healthy, and strong. I am here for you if you need anything.
>
>
>
>Critical Actions:
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>
>
>Coronavirus COVID-19 Public Event Policy:
>The public event policy that was updated late
>last week is available on our website at
><https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-covid-19-policy-relating-public-events>https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-covid-19-policy-relating-public-events.
>We are continuing to monitor best practices from
>the CDC and will update you all as the situation
>changes with respect to the National Federation of the Blind.
>
>
>
>News:
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>
>Legislative Update:
>As the excitement of Washington Seminar fades
>into the distance, our legislative priorities
>are still experiencing a tremendous amount of
>momentum from our time on Capitol Hill. The
>Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) now
>has 83 cosponsors in the House (H.R. 2086) and
>22 cosponsors in the Senate (S. 815). That's
>nearly one quarter of each chamber. Just last
>week we gained seven new cosponsors in the
>House: David Schweikert (AZ), John Rutherford
>(FL), Lance Gooden (TX), Dwight Evans (PA), Ann
>Kuster (NH), Madeleine Dean (PA), and Blaine
>Luetkemeyer (MO). Special thanks to Arizona,
>Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and
>Missouri. It may not seem like much, but those
>numbers are actually quite impressive and show
>significant support for our legislation.
>
>This legislation may be more relevant now than
>ever. With the tragic outbreak of the
>coronavirus, we may see job loss in the very
>near future, and the ATAA would significantly
>improve employment opportunities for blind
>people when companies begin hiring again. Call
>or email your senators and representative and
>ask them to cosponsor the Access Technology
>Affordability Act (ATAA) (H.R. 2086/S. 815). A
>legislative alert on this topic will follow soon.
>
>
>
>Virtual Instruction for Students During COVID-19
>School Closures - #AccessibleNOW:
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>
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>The threat of COVID-19 has prompted many schools
>to close their physical locations and shift to
>virtual instruction. This sudden transition
>raises concern about the accessibility of
>web-based educational technology. The NFB has
>issued a blog that highlights how, regardless of
>COVID-19-driven closures, schools must continue
>to provide equal access for blind students to
>programs, benefits, and services. There are
>steps you can take now to help your school
>prevent access barriers for blind students and
>to help the NFB monitor barriers that do occur:
>· Share the NFB’s
><https://www.nfb.org/blog>blog and listed resources
>· Complete the NFB’s
><https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/education-technology-survey>education
>technology survey
>· Connect with us in our #AccessibleNOW
>#InEducation Twitter chat on Friday, March 20, 2020, at 12:00 p.m. eastern.
>
>Furthermore, if you or your child or student has
>been discriminated against by their school, we
>urge you to file a
><https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html>complaint
>with the US Department of Education through the
>Office for Civil Rights. If you have questions
>or concerns, please email <mailto:AccessibleNow at nfb.org>AccessibleNow at nfb.org.
>
>Parental Rights Foundation Podcast:
>Recently I recorded a podcast with the Parental
>Rights Foundation. You can listen to the
>recording on their website at
><https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/podcast/>https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/podcast/.
>
>
>
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>Hit Submit: Complete Scholarship Applications Today!:
>Hundreds of applications get started for the
>National Federation of the Blind scholarship
>program, and many lose the opportunity to be a
>winner simply by not completely submitting the
>application. This annual scholarship program is
>an investment in the future of blind people who
>demonstrate scholastic aptitude, leadership, and
>service. Encourage every blind college student
>to apply. Share
><https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm20/bm2002/bm200205.htm>the
>secret to winning with blind students and urge
>them to
><https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program>complete
>their applications. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2020.
>
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>Time to Be Counted - Census 2020:
>The 2020 Census is making its way into all
>mailboxes between now and the end of March in
>order to be completed April 1. Rather than
>filling out the paper questionnaire that will be
>sent to every home, we can, for the first time,
>fill it out online or over the telephone. Learn
>about the importance, the accessibility, and how
>to participate in
><https://www.nfb.org/blog/time-be-counted>the
>recent Voice of the Nation’s Blind
><https://www.nfb.org/blog/time-be-counted>Blog article.
>
>
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>
>National Federation of the Blind Engineering
>Quotient (NFB EQ) Program - June 21-27 - Science Museum of Minnesota:
>While there is uncertainty as to what the summer
>holds this year, it is worth considering the
>options. NFB EQ is a weeklong adventure into
>engineering and problem-solving. No specific
>level of engineering experience required. Engage
>in activities designed to strengthen knowledge
>and grow interests. Connect with the twenty-nine
>other high school teen participants. Enriched
>experiences. New friendships. More independence.
>The deadline to apply is March 29. Apply now at
><http://www.nfb.org/eq>www.nfb.org/eq.
>
>
>
>
>Free Audiobook Resource for Learning the Zoom Platform:
>In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, Jonathan
>Mosen has made his audiobook Meet Me in the
>Cloud freely available. This tutorial, which
>takes approximately three hours, walks through
>all aspects of the popular conferencing
>platform, from joining your first meeting, to
>hosting a meeting, to the differences between
>Basic and Pro accounts. Mosen’s book is
>thorough and accessible to all, regardless of
>technical background or proficiency. Note that
>at the time these recordings were made, several
>instances of accessibility glitches needed to be
>pointed out, however with current operating
>systems, and the latest versions of the Zoom
>conferencing software, most bugs have been
>resolved. In addition, Zoom has kept the
>labeling of commands and options, as well as
>their keyboard conventions consistent, meaning
>that none of the substance has altered from the
>time these recordings were produced. We believe
>this will be a useful resource, especially in
>this time of social distancing and greater
>adoption of teleconferencing. The book can be
>obtained free of charge at <https://mosen.org/zoom/>https://mosen.org/zoom/.
>
>
>SSA:
>The National Federation of the Blind and two
>blind individuals, Lisa Irving and Amy Bonano,
>have resolved their 2017 lawsuit against the
>Social Security Administration and entered into
>a settlement agreement designed to ensure that
>SSA’s visitor-intake-processing kiosks are
>accessible to blind users by December 31, 2021.
>Per the agreement, SSA will work with a
>third-party, kiosk-accessibility expert to
>redesign the agency’s kiosks so that blind
>users can enter required intake information,
>including their Social Security number,
>privately and independently. Read the
><https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/blind-americans-settle-lawsuit-against-social-security-administration>press
>release.
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>Dates to Keep in Mind:
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>
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> *
> <https://www.nfb.org/about-us/state-affiliates/state-conventions>Spring
> Conventions (including new dates for postponed conventions)
> * March 31: Deadline for
> <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program>scholarship
> applications
>
>
>· April 15:
><https://www.nfb.org/bolotin>Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award application deadline
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>
>
> * May 1:
> <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/distinguished-educator-blind-students-award>Distinguished
> Educator Award nomination deadline
> * June 21-27:
> <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb-eq>NFB
> EQ; St. Paul, Minnesota
> * July 14-19:
> <https://www.nfb.org/convention>NFB National Convention, Houston, Texas
>
>
>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>
>Youtube
>
>
>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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