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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>
<br>
Dear Fellow Federationists,<br>
<br><br>
Listed below are a number of important things to give attention to. Allen
Harris reports that the Jernigan Fund Committee has delivered news to
each of this year's recipients. Therefore, if your affiliate has been
holding off on convention funding until the Jernigan Scholarships have
been completed, you need wait no longer. <br><br>
<br><br>
In the midst of all of the Federation activity, I would like to note
today is Oriana's seventh birthday. A day she now shares with NFB second
vice president Ron Brown and board member Carla McQuillan. Warmest
birthday wishes to these three Federationists!<br><br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>News:</b></h2><br><br>
The May Presidential Release can be downloaded from
<a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/podcast/presidential-releases-en/pr461.mp3">
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/podcast/presidential-releases-en/pr461.mp3</a>
.<br>
<br><br>
Affiliate Website Support:<br>
Dialing 311 for information? Searching the yellow pages? These are
increasingly things of the past. Many people find us using the internet,
coming first to our website. An easy-to-use, eye-catching website is
crucial for assisting members and attracting newcomers. We would like to
make managing your website easier.<br><br>
<br><br>
The Jernigan Institute can purchase, manage, and renew your domain name
at no cost to the affiliate. You may host your website for free on the
NFBNet server. And we are now providing website themes for both Drupal
and WordPress, two popular management platforms for managing your
website. The themed templates mirror the layout of
<a href="http://www.nfb.org">www.nfb.org</a> and help to provide a
consistent branded look across our affiliates and divisions. While we
cannot provide support for the WordPress theme, limited support will be
available for the Drupal theme.<br><br>
<br><br>
Additionally, we will be offering training to interested affiliate
webmasters at the Jernigan Institute this summer. On August 25-26,
attendees will become familiar with the Drupal theme and learn to build a
working affiliate website on the Drupal platform. More details about this
training will be sent in the near future.<br><br>
<br><br>
If you are interested in receiving the website themes or sending a
webmaster for Drupal website training, contact John Berggren (extension
2329 or <a href="mailto:jberggren@nfb.org">jberggren@nfb.org</a>) for
additional information.<br>
<br>
<br>
Dare to Be Remarkable Call for Presentations:<br>
We are soliciting proposals for presenters at the three-day, national
training conference for education and rehabilitation professionals who
work with blind transition-aged students or adults. More
information, including proposal details and event registration, can be
found at
<a href="https://nfb.org/dare-be-remarkable-call-presentations">
https://nfb.org/dare-be-remarkable-call-presentations</a>. <br>
<br>
<br><br>
Strengthening Our Partnership with Target:<br>
The relationship that the National Federation of the Blind shares with
Target Corporation is a positive, productive one, as demonstrated by our
selection of Target as one of our partners in the
<a href="https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-strategic-nonvisual-access-partner-certification">
Strategic Nonvisual Access Partnership (SNAP) program.</a> This is our
way of acknowledging our support of Target’s commitment to the
enculturation of accessibility throughout their organization. This
extends beyond website and app accessibility into policy and practice. We
have recently been informed of a problem with accessibility in one of the
Target retail stores, where a blind patron was not provided appropriate
assistance while shopping in the store. We are working collaboratively
with Target to resolve this matter, and we would like to know if there
are others that are experiencing problems obtaining shopping assistance
at their local Target retail store. We are equally interested in hearing
examples of how your local Target store provides quality service to their
blind customers. Please email your comments to
<a href="mailto:mkroeger@nfb.org">mkroeger@nfb.org</a>, or call Melissa
Kroeger at (410) 659-9314, extension 2207.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
NOPBC Seeking Recommendations for PLP at National Convention:<br>
The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) is seeking
recommendations for our next Parent Leadership Program (PLP) to be held
at the 2017 National Convention in Orlando. Do you have a parent who
shows the commitment and leadership potential to found or strengthen a
parents division in your state? If so, please send the parent’s
name and contact information to the NOPBC, and they will send that parent
an invitation to become a part of the PLP. Parents from your state who
are already in the program will also be sent invitations. The NOPBC will
be able to provide a small travel stipend for unreimbursed expenses for
parents who need it.<br><br>
<br><br>
To participate in PLP, parents will need to arrive in Orlando by Sunday,
July 9, so that they can attend the NOPBC Seminar on Monday, July 10,
along with special PLP meetings, mentor matches, and other NOPBC and NFB
events throughout the week. To make a recommendation, send the parent's
contact information to Carol Castellano at
<a href="mailto:carol_castellano@verizon.net">
carol_castellano@verizon.net</a>, or call her at (973) 377-0976.<br>
<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Reminders:</b></h2><br><br>
Affiliate Exhibits at National Convention: <br>
If your state affiliate or division would like to have a table in the
exhibit hall, please remember to reserve your spot by May 31, 2017. You
can
<a href="https://nfb.org/national-convention-exhibitor-application">
register online</a>. If you have any questions, please contact Anna Adler
at (410) 659-9314, extension 2282, or
<a href="mailto:AAdler@nfb.org">AAdler@nfb.org</a>. <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><br>
· June 4, 2017:
<a href="https://nfb.org/dot-dash">6K Dot Dash</a> <br><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><br>
· July 23-29, 2017:
<a href="http://www.blindscience.org/nfb-youth-slam">Youth Slam</a>,
Towson University<br><br>
· September 12-17, 2017:
<a href="http://blindmerchants.org/blast-2017/">BLAST</a>, Nashville,
Tennessee <br><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>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<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:7.1.0.9.2.20170516213701.01e5dcb8@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:7.1.0.9.2.20170516213701.01e5dcb8@visi.com.5" width=24 height=24 alt="Facebook">
</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice">
<img src="cid:7.1.0.9.2.20170516213701.01e5dcb8@visi.com.6" width=24 height=24 alt="Twitter">
</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind">
<img src="cid:7.1.0.9.2.20170516213701.01e5dcb8@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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