[NFB-Idaho] State President's Monthly Update, January 2022

[President NFBIDAHO]

Please share this update with your members and others who might be
interested. I plan to write these updates monthly or when new information
needs to be distributed to members. Thank you.

State President's Monthly Update

January, 2022

I am re-instituting my monthly president's update, which I started when I
became president in 2015. Over time, for various reasons, I let this update
drop, in favor of my quarterly report in our Gem state Milestones
newsletter. Although the newsletter updates are valuable, they tend to
summarize what has happened, rather than letting the membership know of
current activities on a state and national level. I hope my monthly updates
will help keep everyone informed of upcoming events, and will encourage
members to get involved. 

Our Winter board meeting will take place virtually on Martin Luther King
Day, January 17, beginning at 9:00 A.M. mountain time and 8:00 Pacific time.
Our virtual meetings tend to be shorter than the in-person board meetings,
so I anticipate that we will conclude around 2:00 P.M. I will have an agenda
out soon, but you can anticipate discussion of our up-coming state
convention, the Washington Seminar, a possible model bill to bring before
the Idaho legislature concerning accessible labeling for medications etc.
All are welcome to join the board meeting. I will send the link out closer
to our meeting date. 

I have determined that Idaho will participate with a virtual Washington
Seminar this year. We were only allowed 2 delegates for the in-person
seminar. With the uncertainty of the virus, and the strict limitations
placed on attendees, I felt Idaho could do a better job by bringing in more
members for the virtual meetings. The issues this year are: Access
Technology Affordability Act (H.R.431/S.212), Medical Device Nonvisual
Accessibility Act (H.R.4853), Twenty-first Century Websites and Applications
Accessibility Act, and Transformation to Competitive Integrative Employment
Act (H.R.2373/S.3238). Direct links for each bill will be pasted below this
newsletter. Our national legislative representatives will provide training
on these issues Monday, January 10th, and Wednesday, January 12th at
6:00-7:00 PM mountain time and 5:00-6:00 Pacific Time. Mock meetings will
take place January 19 and 21 in the same time slot. These are duplicate
meetings so you only 

Need to attend one unless you want to go to both. These meetings are open to
all who plan to participate in Washington Seminar, and I hope that means
everyone in this affiliate. I will be appointing a primary person to present
on each bill, but having our membership present and visible to our
congressional delegation will say a lot. 

Our state convention will be held at the new Holiday Inn in Idaho Falls,
April 21-23. At this time, it will be an in-person only event. Our 2023
convention is scheduled for April 20-22 at the Red Lion Downtowner in Boise.
We have locked in the room rate of $119.00 for singles and doubles. This
would have been our rate if we had done an in-person convention in 2021, so
we are lucky to get it in 2023. 

I want to start a new discussion group specifically for members and friends
who have become blind in adulthood.  I am very aware that those who become
blind or lose significant vision as adults, face different challenges than
those of us who are blind from birth. I'd like this group to openly discuss
challenges and solutions. I don't want to be the permanent facilitator but I
want to get it going.  This group does not replace chapter meetings. Such a
group has been tried with success in Colorado.  I'd like to have the first
meeting on Monday, January 10 at 8:00 PM MST 7:00 pm PST. I will send a
further reminder with a link to the Idaho listserv and to chapter
presidents.

Remember to listen to our live presidential release this Tuesday at 6:00 Pm
MST, 5:00 PM PST for the latest updates from our national office. 

Finally I hope all members and families had a good holiday season and a
happy, hopeful New Year for 2022.  




 

.
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar/washington-se
minar-priorities/access-technology> Access Technology Affordability Act
(H.R. 431/S. 212)

.
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar/washington-se
minar-priorities/medical-device> Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act
(H.R. 4853)

.
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar/washington-se
minar-priorities/twenty-first-century> Twenty-First Century Websites &
Applications Accessibility Act

.
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar/washington-se
minar-priorities/transformation> Transformation to Competitive Integrated
Employment Act (H.R. 2373/S. 3238)

 

 



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