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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 New Year! Congratulations to those of you who have already secured
your rooms at the Mandalay Bay for the 2019 Convention of the National
Federation of the Blind. It is good to be ahead of the curve. We
anticipate our room block filling quickly for the convention. However,
you have plenty of time for that. You should be gearing up for the 2019
Washington Seminar and the great meetings planned for our time together
at the end of this month.<br>
<br>
This year is going to be an important one for the Federation. Attached to
this message is the National Federation of the Blind 2019-2021 Strategic
Plan. This plan will be published in the <i>Braille Monitor</i> in
February, but you are getting a sneak peek because of your critical role
in the organization. This plan includes feedback many of you gave during
focus groups at our national convention last year. As a result, I feel
really confident that this plan is deeply rooted in the activities that
will best assist our organization in going to the next level.
Implementing these activities will take your support and active
participation. Please get to know the plan as a leader of our
movement.<br>
<br>
<h2><b>Critical Actions This Week:</b></h2><br><br>
Washington Seminar Update:<br>
The Great Gathering-In is only twenty-six days away, and the deadline to
reserve a room at the Holiday Inn Capitol is Friday, January 4, 2019. You
can find all of the relevant hotel information, fact sheets (available
tomorrow afternoon), and schedule for the week at
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/washington-seminar">
https://www.nfb.org/washington-seminar</a>.<br>
<br>
The three issues we will be covering during the 2019 Washington Seminar
are:<br><br>
· The Access Technology
Affordability Act (ATAA)<br>
<a name="OLE_LINK1"></a>The cost of critically needed access technology
is out of reach for most blind Americans. By providing a refundable tax
credit for qualifying purchases, Congress will stimulate individual
procurement of access technology and promote affordability of these
much-needed tools.<br>
<br>
· Greater Accessibility
and Independence through Nonvisual Access Technology (GAIN) Act<br>
New advancements in digital interfaces for home-use medical devices, home
appliances, and fitness equipment create barriers preventing blind
individuals from operating these devices independently. Congress must end
the digital divide that threatens the independence of blind Americans by
developing minimum accessibility requirements for such devices.<br><br>
· The Disability
Employment Act (DEA)<br>
The AbilityOne Program creates a segregated work environment that fails
to adequately equip workers with disabilities for the challenges of the
twenty-first century. The Disability Employment Act will spur innovation
that will increase and enhance modern employment opportunities for people
with disabilities.<br>
<br>
Finally, as you make your appointments, please keep in mind that we will
once again be hosting a congressional reception this year. The reception
will take place on Tuesday, January 29, 2019, at the Capitol Visitors
Center (CVC), room CVC-200, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Please encourage
your congressional delegation to attend.<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>News:</b></h2><br><br>
Convention Hotel Room Block Open:<br>
The room block at the Mandalay Bay is open. To make reservations for the
2019 Convention, you can call the hotel at 877-632-7800. The hotel will
take a deposit of the first night’s room rate for each room and will
require a credit card or a personal check. If you use a credit card, the
deposit will be charged against your card immediately. If a reservation
is cancelled before Friday, June 1, 2019, half of the deposit will be
returned. Otherwise, refunds will not be made. The room rate is $99 for
singles, doubles, triples, and quads. Hotel and sales taxes are 13.38
percent and 8.25 percent, respectively. The resort fee (normally $37 a
night) will be waived for NFB Convention attendees. However, fees for
internet access, local and toll-free calls, and fitness center access may
apply. <br>
<br>
Washington Seminar Hotel Deadline Extended:<br>
The deadline for booking hotel rooms for Washington Seminar has been
extended to Friday, January 4, 2019. You can call 877-572-6951 and
reference booking code NB8. You can also book reservations online on
<a href="http://ichotelsgroup.com/redirect?path=rates&brandCode=HI®ionCode=1&localeCode=en&GPC=NB8&hotelCode=WASSM&_PMID=99801505">
the Holiday Inn Washington Capitol website</a>. <br>
<br>
<br>
Aira Plans:<br>
There are now two Aira plans available to members of the National
Federation of the Blind only.
<ol>
<li>Thirty minutes a month for $20.00
<li>One hundred and forty minutes per month for $99.00 (This plan
includes the Austria glasses, allows for minute sharing, permits
purchasing additional non-expiring minutes if one is running short, and
lets members get credit for referrals.)
</ol>Call an Aira agent (800-835-1934) to subscribe or visit the Aira
website at <a href="https://aira.io/nfb/">https://aira.io/nfb/</a>.<br>
<a name="_Hlk534205352"></a>. <br>
Reminder: Membership Initiative for Affiliate Presidents:<br>
The deadline for submitting the Connection spreadsheets with member data
is rapidly approaching. There was a request that you have chapters and
divisions send their spreadsheets to you before the end of December,
because you are being asked to submit all of your affiliate information
to the national office by no later than January 15, 2019. Please send
your completed affiliate information to Julie McGinnity at
<a href="mailto:jmcginnity@nfb.org">jmcginnity@nfb.org</a>. If you need
the Connections spreadsheet and/or instructions resent to you, please
contact Julie. <br>
<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Dates to Keep in Mind:</b></h2><br><br>
<ul>
<li>January 28, 2019: Great Gathering-In; Washington Seminar begins
<li>March 28-29, 2019: Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium
</ul><br>
<h2><b><a name="_Hlk527968851"></a>
· March 31, 2019:
<a href="https://nfb.org/scholarships">NFB scholarship application</a>
deadline</b></h2><a name="_Hlk527968851"></a><br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>· April 15, 2019:
<a href="https://nfb.org/programs/dr-jacob-bolotin-awards">Dr. Jacob
Bolotin Award</a> application deadline </b></h2><br><br>
<ul>
<li>June 16-22, 2019: NFB EQ, Baltimore, Maryland
<li>July 7-12, 2019: <a href="https://nfb.org/convention/2019">NFB
National Convention</a>, Las Vegas, Nevada
</ul> <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>
Mark A. Riccobono, 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>
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