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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><br>
Congratulations to our first twenty affiliates that have received or are
about to receive membership coins. It has been a lot of work, but it is
setting a great foundation for what we need to do next. On the topic of
membership lists, I continue to hear incorrect information related back
to me, so I want to address two items that came up during this weekend's
leadership seminar:<br><br>
<br>
* Members can certainly be members of multiple chapters. Our database has
been designed to handle multiple memberships. There is no reason for
affiliates to reduce duplication when a member is active in multiple
chapters.<br><br>
<br>
* You <u>do not</u> need to have an at-large chapter in order to list
your at-large affiliate members. There are many cases where members are
only members of the affiliate, not of a local chapter. That is fine. List
them on your at-large spreadsheet. Some people apparently have the
impression that they only count as members if there is an at-large
chapter. Again, we build the database to reflect our best practices in
our constitutions, and people can be affiliate members without being
members of a local chapter.<br><br>
<br>
We did have a great eighty-eighth leadership seminar this past weekend.
Remember, I always welcome recommendations for participants for future
seminars as we continually update the list of potential candidates. I
learned that recently some affiliate presidents took my general call as a
request for spots for the next seminar. Please continue to send your
suggestions at any time of the year, even for individuals not in your
affiliate. However, do keep in mind that it is a requirement that they
have been to state convention and to a national convention. Remember also
that this is not a basic introduction to the Federation but is a
leadership building seminar. <br><br>
<br>
We started construction yesterday on new sleeping rooms and visitor space
at our national office. I believe this is a project that each of us will
be very proud of once it is completed. It has been almost forty years
since our original visitor sleeping rooms were built, and they have
served us very well. I anticipate this new space serving us for at least
as long.<br><br>
<br>
A number of important notes can be found below. Thank you for all you do
to keep up on the work of our organization. I am off to Chicago for our
first community outreach lunch. Hopefully we can bring one to your
community soon.<br><br>
<h2><b>News:</b></h2><br><br>
<i>In the Dark</i>: <br><br>
On April 4, the CW television network, which is affiliated with CBS,
plans to launch a television series called <i>In the Dark</i> that
features a blind character. This series is just the latest in a long line
of shows and movies about the blind, without the blind. The National
Federation of the Blind was not consulted at all by the CW during the
writing or casting process, and the producers claim they could not find a
blind actress to play the leading role. For this reason, and in light of
resolutions passed by our conventions on this topic, we issued a strong
<a href="https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/blind-americans-protest-refusal-entertainment-industry-cast-them">
statement</a> urging the cancellation of the series. We now need to
follow up with action. We cannot allow Hollywood to define us any longer.
The blind belong at the center of our own stories, playing blind
characters and taking our place on screen alongside our sighted
colleagues. All affiliates should be amplifying this message on your
social media platforms using the hash tag #LetUsPlayUs. Members who have
been rejected for acting roles on the basis of blindness or who have
successfully participated in acting or performance should email their
stories to Chris Danielsen at
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a>. Finally, it
may be necessary for us to publicly protest if the CW and the show’s
producers do not respond to efforts we have made to discuss this issue
with them. Please stay tuned for word of action that may be planned in
the New York City area in early April.<br><br>
<br>
<dl><br>
<dd>Introduction of ATAA:<br>
<dd>Last week the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) (S. 815) was
introduced by Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Ben Cardin (D-MD). This
bipartisan legislation removes an employment barrier commonly experienced
by blind Americans who cannot afford the high cost of access technology
by creating a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2,000 to offset the
cost of these technologies.<br><br>
</dl> <br><br>
Blind Users Innovating and Leading Design (BUILD):<br><br>
Technologies are being developed every day that affect the way we all
live, work, and play. Given the continuing and rapid proliferation of
advanced technology, we need your help to ensure that this technology is
accessible to blind people. The NFB is growing a database of blind users
to test and evaluate the accessibility of websites, home-use medical
devices, home appliances, fitness equipment, and other products and
services. Testers in our BUILD program will periodically receive requests
to evaluate various websites, products, or services for usability and
accessibility. In order for us to obtain real-world experiences, we are
seeking information from novices to experts. Although most are volunteer
opportunities, some of these projects may offer compensation, premiums
like gift cards, or product discounts. If you are interested in building
the next generation of accessible products and services, please register
to become a tester in our BUILD program by visiting the following link
and completing an application:
<a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/blind-users-innovating-and-leading-design">
https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/blind-users-innovating-and-leading-design</a>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Reminders:</b></h2><br><br>
<dl>
<dd>Convention Preregistration Opened March 1:<br>
<dd>Online preregistration will be available from March 1 to May 31,
2019. Additionally, registration will be available on site in Las Vegas.
When purchased online by May 31, the preregistration fee for convention
is $25 ($30 on site) and the cost of a banquet ticket is $70 ($75 on
site). For more information regarding preregistration and other details,
please visit
<a href="https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention">
https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention</a>. <br><br>
</dl> <br>
Dates to Keep in Mind:</b>
<ul>
<li><a name="_Hlk527968851"></a>March 28-29, 2019:
<a href="https://nfb.org/law-symposium">Jacobus tenBroek Law
Symposium</a><a name="_Hlk527968851"></a>
</ul><br>
<h2><b>· March 31, 2019:
<a href="https://nfb.org/scholarships">NFB scholarship application</a>
deadline</b></h2><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>May 1, 2019:
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/distinguished-educator-blind-students-award">
Distinguished Educator Award</a> nomination deadline
<li>June 16-22, 2019: <a href="http://www.blindscience.org/nfbeq">NFB
EQ</a>, Baltimore, Maryland
<li>July 7-12, 2019: <a href="https://nfb.org/convention/2019">NFB
National Convention</a>, Las Vegas, Nevada
<li>February 10, 2020: Great Gathering-In; Washington Seminar begins
</ul><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>
Mark A. Riccobono, President<br><br>
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230<br><br>
(410) 659-9314 |
<a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">
officeofthepresident@nfb.org</a> <br><br>
<br><br>
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