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

[Ramona]

Happy New Year to all! 

Dana, this is a great start! Glad to see the Update return and the discussion group. 

RamonaOn Jan 2, 2022 3:35 PM, President NFBIDAHO via NFB-Idaho <nfb-idaho at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> 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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