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<h1><b>President’s Notebook</b></h1><br><br>
<br>
<h1><b>National Federation of the Blind</b></h1><br><br>
<br>
<h1><b>Mark A. Riccobono</b></h1><br><br>
<br>
<h1><b><a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">
officeofthepresident@nfb.org</a></b></h1><br><br>
<br>
<h1><b>(410) 659-9314</b></h1><br><br>
<br>
Dear Fellow Federationists,<br>
<br>
Happy Opening Day! Baseball season is here and I always find that is a
good indication that spring has come. It also marks the three-month
countdown to our conventionthe excitement is already building. Please
send your ideas for convention program items as I will have to finalize
the program in the next month.<br>
As you will notice below, there is a lot happening as we roll into April.
ICYMI (that is shorthand for in case you missed it), I encourage you to
watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCcbtijv8fE">new video
on accessibility that was released on April 1</a>.<br>
<br>
Later this week we will be pushing out information on the <i>Do You Dream
in Color</i> documentary
(<a href="http://www.doyoudreamincolor.com">www.doyoudreamincolor.com</a>
). We will have information later this month to help affiliates put
together screenings as educational and fundraising activities. I
encourage each of you to learn about this documentary and consider how it
fits into our broader educational initiatives.<br>
<br>
You can also expect the April Presidential Release to be available within
the next day.<br>
<br>
I want you to know that I will be on the road next week (April 10-15) and
will be difficult to reach. I am taking the family to Wisconsin and I
hope to maximize my family time while there. Thus, please plan to tag me
this week with anything we need to discuss; otherwise consider waiting
until April 17. Of course Beth will be here and will know how to find me
for any urgent matters. I am well aware that the Federation keeps
marching forward so I plan to stay connected.<br><br>
<h2><b> </b></h2><br><br>
<br>
<h2><b>News:</b></h2><br><br>
2017 Blind Educator of the Year Award:<br>
The Blind Educator of the Year Award pays tribute to a blind teacher
whose exceptional classroom performance, notable community service, and
uncommon commitment to the NFB merit national recognition. The award,
including an appropriately inscribed plaque and a check for $1,000, is
presented at the national convention. Nominations should be sent to Dr.
Edward Bell, Director, PDRIB, via email to
<a href="mailto:ebell@latech.edu">ebell@latech.edu</a>, or post mail to
PDRIB, 1500 W. Barnett Springs Ave, Ruston, LA 71270. Letters of
nomination must be accompanied by a copy of the nominee's current
résumé and supporting documentation of community and Federation
activity. All nomination materials must be in the hands of the committee
chairman by May 1, 2017, to be considered for this year's award. For
further information contact Edward Bell at (318) 257-4554 or
<a href="mailto:ebell@latech.edu">ebell@latech.edu</a>. More information
can be found in
<a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm16/bm1611/bm161116.htm">
the
</a>
<a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm16/bm1611/bm161116.htm">
<i>Braille Monitor</a></i>. <br>
<br>
<br>
NFB Youth Slam T-Shirt Design Contest:<br>
This summer we will hold the 2017
<a href="http://www.blindscience.org/nfb-youth-slam">NFB Youth Slam</a>
on the tenth anniversary of the inaugural NFB Youth Slam. We are seeking
artists who can capture the excitement and energy of our Youth Slam
program and design our official tenth anniversary T-shirt. The designs
should reflect the brand personality of the National Federation of the
Blind: inviting, powerful, innovative, and inspirational. The winner will
receive special recognition and a reward. <br>
1. Your design must include the
<a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/files/nfb-logo-lg.jpg">
National Federation of the Blind logo</a>. <br>
2. Your design must include the text “Tenth Anniversary National
Federation of the Blind Youth Slam.” <br>
3. Your design must be science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) related.<br>
4. All submissions should be in a high-resolution PDF or EPS file format
with fonts converted to outlines.<br>
5. Submit your designs online at our
<a href="https://nfb.org/media-upload-form">NFB Media Upload Form</a> by
the deadline, Friday, April 28, 2017. The winner will be announced in
May.<br>
The National Federation of the Blind reserves the right to choose a
winner and make any alterations to the design such as color, image size,
etc. For further information regarding copyright please refer to our
<a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/files/nfbterms.doc">media
terms and conditions</a>. Questions can be directed to
<a href="mailto:STEM@nfb.org">STEM@nfb.org</a> by email or by phone at
(410) 659-9314, extension 2418. <br>
<br>
<br>
Supreme Court Decision Regarding Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act:<br>
Last week we were pleased to hear of the Supreme Court's unanimous
decision in <i>Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District</i>. In his
opinion, Chief Justice Roberts said, in part, "The goals may differ,
but every child should have the chance to meet challenging objectives.
This standard is more demanding than the ‘merely more than de minimis’
test applied by the Tenth Circuit. … When all is said and done, a student
offered an educational program providing 'merely more than de minimis'
progress from year to year can hardly be said to have been offered an
education at all." The
<a href="https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-comments-united-states-supreme-court-decision-regarding-individuals">
full press release</a> can be found on the NFB website. <br>
<br>
Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017:<br>
The Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017 was introduced in both
houses of Congress (H.R. 1734, S. 732). The bill was introduced by
Representatives David Young (R-IA) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) in
the House and by Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Benjamin L. Cardin
(D-MD) in the Senate. The legislation will establish a per-person
individual refundable tax credit to be used over a multi-year period to
offset the cost of access technology for blind people. Access technology
includes items such as text-to-speech screen-access software and
electronic Braille displays that blind people use to access computers,
tablets, smartphones, and other devices, as well as digital content. More
information can be found
<a href="https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-applauds-introduction-access-technology-affordability-act">
in the press release</a>. <br>
<br>
<br>
AIM HIGH Act Introduced:<br>
And, in other legislative news, the Accessible Instructional Materials in
Higher Education Act of 2017, also known as the AIM HIGH Act (H.R. 1772)
was introduced by Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN) and Congressman Joe
Courtney (D-CT). This act will promote instructional technology and
content that are accessible to the blind and other students with print
disabilities. The entire press release is available at
<a href="https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-applauds-introduction-aim-high-act">
https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-applauds-introduction-aim-high-act</a>
. <br>
<br>
<br>
Lyft Press Release:<br>
Yesterday we sent out a joint press release with Lyft announcing a
collaborative effort to ensure reliable and equal service to individuals
who are blind and use service animals. Also, Lyft announced the kick-off
of their first Service Animal Month. Lyft also announced a new policy
that clarifies that every Lyft rider who has a service animal must be
accommodated, regardless of a driver’s preferences or circumstances. The
full text is available on
<a href="https://nfb.org/lyft-and-national-federation-blind-announce-comprehensive-accessibility-improvements-lyft-riders-who">
the NFB website</a>. <br>
<br>
<br>
Kernel Books:<br>
As an organization, we deeply value and treasure the real-life stories of
hope and inspiration contained in our Kernel Book series. We are working
on plans to repurpose these stories to make them more widely available in
digital formats. We would like to get the existing copies in our storage
facility out into the world and into the hands of those who would benefit
from reading them. To that end, we are offering free cases on a
first-come, first-served basis of the following Kernel Books published
after 2000:<br>
<i>Oh, Wow <br>
Safari <br>
Reaching for the Top in the Land Down Under <br>
Not Much of a Muchness <br>
The Lessons of the Earth <br>
Imagine <br>
Celebrate<br>
</i>If you are interested in receiving a case of any of these titles,
please contact Ellen Ringlein in the Independence Market at (410)
659-9314, extension 2216, or at
<a href="mailto:independencemarket@nfb.org">independencemarket@nfb.org</a>
. <br>
<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Dates to Keep in Mind:</b></h2><br><br>
·
<a href="http://nfb.org/state-conventions">Spring conventions</a><br>
· April 15, 2017: Deadline for
<a href="https://nfb.org/bolotin-award-main">Jacob Bolotin Award
applications</a><br>
· May 1, 2017: Deadline for
Blind Educator of the Year Award<br>
· May 1, 2017: Deadline for
<a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/distinguished-educator-of-blind-students-award-form-fillable.pdf">
Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award</a><br>
· June 4, 2017:
<a href="https://nfb.org/dot-dash">6K Dot Dash</a> <br>
· July 10-15, 2017:
<a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm16/bm1611/bm161101.htm">
National Convention, Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Orlando,
Florida</a><br>
· July 23-29, 2017:
<a href="http://www.blindscience.org/nfb-youth-slam">Youth Slam</a>,
Towson University<br>
· September 12-17, 2017:
<a href="http://blindmerchants.org/blast-2017/">BLAST</a>, Nashville,
Tennessee <br>
<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Mark A. Riccobono<br>
President<br>
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230<br>
(410) 659-9314 |
<a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">
officeofthepresident@nfb.org</a> <br>
<br>
<br>
<a href="https://nfb.org/">
<img src="cid:7.1.0.9.2.20170404200941.04f18798@visi.com.4" width=210 height=76 alt="National Federation of the Blind">
</a><br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind">
<img src="cid:7.1.0.9.2.20170404200941.04f18798@visi.com.5" width=24 height=24 alt="Facebook">
</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice">
<img src="cid:7.1.0.9.2.20170404200941.04f18798@visi.com.6" width=24 height=24 alt="Twitter">
</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind">
<img src="cid:7.1.0.9.2.20170404200941.04f18798@visi.com.7" width=24 height=24 alt="Youtube">
</a><br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br><br>
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