<html>
<body>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><br><br>
<h1><b><a name="OLE_LINK7"></a>President's
Notebook</b></h1><a name="OLE_LINK7"></a><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>
The activity around the Federation seems as busy as ever, even if the
activity is different than it was just one month ago. I want to call your
attention to a few things:<br>
<br><br>
1. I am hosting Presidential Release Live
(#493) on Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m. eastern. Spread the word far and
wide so we get as many participants as possible online with us.<br><br>
2. Attached to this notebook is the
promised guidance for affiliates on common branding for Federation
virtual events. If you are doing things you find particularly effective
that you recommend we add to this document, please share your
ideas.<br><br>
3. We have also attached a guide regarding
COVID-19 response actions for our affiliates. These are suggestions based
on discussions held around the organization over the past couple of
weeks.<br><br>
4. You can expect guidance from the Office
of the President soon regarding procedures for managing virtual
Federation meetings and conducting votes with members virtually.<br><br>
5. Do not forget to spread the word about
the Presidential Release Live on Thursday evening, April 2, at 8:00 p.m.
eastern. The information to connect via Zoom or by dialing in
is:<br><br>
Join Zoom Meeting <br>
<a href="https://zoom.us/j/2368918214">https://zoom.us/j/2368918214</a>
<br><br>
Meeting ID: 236 891 8214 <br><br>
One tap mobile <br>
+14086380968,,2368918214# US (San Jose) <br>
+16699006833,,2368918214# US (San Jose) <br><br>
Dial by your location <br>
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose) <br>
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) <br>
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) <br>
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) <br>
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York) <br>
+1 253 215 8782 US <br>
+1 301 715 8592 US <br>
Meeting ID: 236 891 8214 <br>
Find your local number:
<a href="https://zoom.us/u/ab3E5IUcW">https://zoom.us/u/ab3E5IUcW</a>
<br>
<br><br>
6. Thank you for your continued work to
connect and protect blind people during these unusual times. <br>
Let's go build the Federation!<br><br>
<h2><b>News:</b></h2><br><br>
<b>PR Briefings:<br>
</b>The National Federation of the Blind is receiving some requests from
the media about the impact of COVID-19 on our community. Reporters are
often adopting the premise that we are especially vulnerable during this
time because we rely on our sense of touch. We are explaining that tools
like white canes mitigate the need to touch objects directly, and that we
are of course just as capable of washing our hands as everyone else. We
are also trying to refocus reporters’ attention on the true impact
COVID-19 is having on blind people, particularly those of us
who:<br><br>
· Are students in public school
systems that are closed or in
<a href="https://www.governing.com/news/headlines/Bill-Aims-to-Give-Same-Higher-Ed-Tech-Access-to-All-Students.html">
colleges and universities</a> that have moved courses online<br><br>
· Are expected to
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/blind-employee-sues-beacon-health-options">
work from home</a> using remote services and platforms that have
accessibility barriers<br><br>
· Need to order groceries, food
deliveries, prescription drugs, medical supplies, or other essential
items<br><br>
· Need to connect with their medical
providers virtually rather than visiting the office or clinic, or are
encountering inaccessible registration kiosks and other technology at
healthcare facilities<br><br>
· Need to access healthcare
instructions or other critical information<br>
If you receive media inquiries, please coordinate with Chris Danielsen,
our director of public relations, so that he can help you with more
in-depth talking points on these topics. This coordination is especially
crucial if the media outlet that has reached out to you has a national
scope (e.g., <i>New York Times</i>, <i>NBC Nightly News</i>). We will
want to explore the opportunity for President Riccobono to be interviewed
in those situations. You should also feel free to share local examples of
the problems that blind people are experiencing with Chris so that he can
direct reporters who contact us to those stories. You can reach him by
calling 410-659-9314, extension 2330, or by emailing
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a>.<br>
<br><br>
<h3><b>Connect to NFB-NEWSLINE® to be informed on
COVID-19:</b></h3><br><br>
In an effort to bring the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) to
our subscribers, we are pleased to offer a new information source in our
Breaking News Online category. This source of information is being
provided by Johns Hopkins University and is titled COVID-19 Pandemic
Data. Johns Hopkins University is considered one of the leading worldwide
resources concerning statistics on this pandemic and we are pleased that
we can offer it in an accessible audio and Braille format to our
subscribers.<br>
<br>
There are various sections in the COVID-19 data that you may access and
they are broken down by total state cases, as well as world/country data
cases. To further provide specific state or international detail, you can
select states or world regions in an alphabetical range. This data is
continuously updated throughout the day with the most recent
statistics.<br>
Just like with the breaking news search results, which we added to
everyone's Alexa's favorite number 1, we have added this to everyone's
favorite number 2 for ease of access. You can access this new information
source by issuing the command: "Alexa, ask National Federation to
read favorite 2." Recall that we do have an electronic file
containing other commands that you can use with the NFB-NEWSLINE skill
for Alexa. If you would like a copy, please contact us. <br>
<br>
Access the COVID-19 information using the telephone by pressing 5 from
the main menu, then press 1 for the Breaking News Online category, then
press 1 for the virus search results or press 2 for the Johns Hopkins
data. If you are using the NFB-NEWSLINE Mobile iOS app, look for the
virus information under the All Publications section. Web-News-On-Demand
users can find the COVID-19 information by selecting "Publications
Organized by State," and then "Breaking News Online."<br>
<br>
We hope that you find the COVID-19 information on NFB-NEWSLINE to be
beneficial to keeping you and your family safe during this health crisis.
If you have ideas on other coronavirus-related material that you would
like to see on NFB-NEWSLINE, please write Scott White at
<a href="mailto:swhite@nfb.org">swhite@nfb.org</a> or call
866-504-7300.<br>
<br><br>
<h3><b>NFB-NEWSLINE Presentations Possible:</b></h3><br><br>
<br>
<h3><b>Blog Post: Gratitude for the Women of the
Movement:</b></h3><br><br>
March is Women's History Month and it is a time to celebrate the vital
role of women in history. In this week’s blog post, learn more about
BLIND, Inc.’s executive director, Jennifer Kennedy, and her connection
to many women of the Federation. The National Federation of the Blind is
proudly affiliated with the country’s
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/training-centers">leading training
centers for the blind</a>, which offer a variety of programs for all ages
that help build blindness skills and encourage independence, which
includes BLIND, Inc. Read the
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/blog/gratitude-women-movement"><i>Voice of
the Nation’s Blind Blog</a>.<br>
</i> <br><br>
<h3><b>Continued Celebration for Women's History Month:</b></h3><br><br>
To continue celebrating women's history month, the President’s banquet
speech from the 2018 NFB National Convention highlighted a sampling of
the hundreds of female leaders of our movement whose stories illuminate
the characteristics that have allowed us, as diverse individuals who
happen to be blind, to synergize a movement that cannot be divided. The
role of blind women within the National Federation of the Blind is clear
and powerful.
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/convent/banquet-speech-2018-2.html">
Access the banquet speech</a>. The
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/2018_convention_highlights/2018_banquet_speech.mp3">
audio of the speech</a> is also available.<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Reminders:</b></h2><br><br>
<b>Cayte Mendez on Scholarship Letters:</b><br>
Presidents’ letters are due by April 15 at the latest. Presidents need
not sit on entire batches like nests full of eggs; they are welcome to
send them in as they are completed. They can email them to us at
<a href="mailto:scholarships@nfb.org">scholarships@nfb.org</a> or upload
them. Thanks again for the hard work everyone did to accomplish the last
outreach push. Since Wednesday afternoon, we have received approximately
120 additional submissions, and the clock hasn’t run out yet.<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>Dates to Keep in Mind:</b></h2><br><br>
<ul>
<li>March 31: Deadline for
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program">
scholarship applications</a>
</ul>· April 15:
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/bolotin">Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award</a>
application deadline <br>
· May 1:
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/distinguished-educator-blind-students-award">
Distinguished Educator Award</a> nomination deadline
<ul>
<li>June 21-27:
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb-eq">
NFB EQ</a>; St. Paul, Minnesota
<li>July 14-19: <a href="https://www.nfb.org/convention">NFB National
Convention</a>, Houston, Texas
</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>
<a href="https://nfb.org/">
<img src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/nfblogo.png" width=210 height=76 alt="National Federation of the Blind">
</a><br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind">
<img src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/facebook.png" width=24 height=24 alt="Facebook">
</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice">
<img src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/twitter.png" width=24 height=24 alt="Twitter">
</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind">
<img src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/youtube.png" 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><br>
<br>
Content-Type:
application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document;<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>
name="National Federation of the Blind Guidance for Hosting
Zoom"<br>
Meetings.docx"<br>
Content-Description: National Federation of the Blind Guidance for
Hosting<br>
Zoom Meetings.docx<br>
Content-Disposition: attachment;<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>
filename="National Federation of the Blind Guidance for Hosting
Zoom"<br>
Meetings.docx"; size=16790; creation-date="Wed, 01 Apr
2020 12:45:10 GMT";<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>
modification-date="Wed, 01 Apr 2020 12:45:10 GMT"<br><br>
</blockquote><div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br />
<table style="border-top: 1px solid #D3D4DE;">
<tr>
<td style="width: 55px; padding-top: 13px;"><a href="http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient" target="_blank"><img src="https://ipmcdn.avast.com/images/icons/icon-envelope-tick-green-avg-v1.png" alt="" width="46" height="29" style="width: 46px; height: 29px;" /></a></td>
<td style="width: 470px; padding-top: 12px; color: #41424e; font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Virus-free. <a href="http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient" target="_blank" style="color: #4453ea;">www.avg.com</a>
</td>
</tr>
</table><a href="#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2" width="1" height="1"> </a></div></body>
</html>