[NFB-Krafters-Korner] OT: from President Riccobono

[Tammy Freitag]

Critical Actions: This Friday, May 1—Presidential Release LIVE:
Attend the May Presidential Release (Zoom details available) of the
National Federation of the Blind on May 1, 2020, at 8:00 p.m. eastern.
After the remarks, the organization's first vice president, Pam Allen,
will moderate questions. Members of the Federation are encouraged to
attend, and non-members are warmly welcomed. Send your questions in
advance to cdanielsen at nfb.org and put PR494 in the subject line or
call 410-659-9314, extension 2473.

 News:
Hotel Room Credits:
If you booked a hotel room in Houston, Texas, for the national
convention, a full refund will be issued, so please do not call the
hotel to cancel at this time. Both the Hilton and Marriott
reservations staff are working to cancel reservations and providing
full refunds to the credit card used to secure the room. Because both
hotels are working reduced hours with limited staff, it may take up to
two weeks for your refund to be issued. If you have not seen a credit
to your account by May 8, please send an email to Susan Skaarer at
sskaarer at nfb.org with your confirmation number, so we can confirm the
cancellation of your reservation with the hotel. For those of you who
may have made a separate reservation for room nights before or after
our convention, you will need to contact the central reservations line
at 800-236-2905.

Accessibility of State COVID-19 Websites:
A recent article alerted us to a comprehensive study by Web AIM
finding that most state websites that provide information about the
coronavirus pandemic have accessibility barriers. Affiliates who have
not done so already should reach out to state governments to alert
them to accessibility issues. If your state’s website is flagged in
the study or if you find accessibility issues, please share through
social media channels or by sending an email to accessiblenow at nfb.org,
especially if a point of contact or information about the responsible
government office cannot be found. If you can identify a point of
contact, consider sending a statement to the website administrator, or
to the department responsible for the site (often the governor’s
office or health department) such as the following:
I am writing to you on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind
of [state or territory name] to advise that your dedicated website [or
web pages] intended to provide coronavirus information is not
accessible to blind users. [Provide details or examples here.] Blind
residents of our state need accurate and timely information about this
pandemic just like all other residents, and state and federal laws
require that we have equal access to all information provided by our
government. We therefore strongly urge you to rectify these
accessibility barriers as soon as possible. We are happy to provide
expertise and to connect you with blind people who can conduct user
testing. We will appreciate your immediate attention to this
critically important matter.

Advocacy and Policy Update:
I wanted to start out with a quick update regarding Economic Impact
Payments. For recipients of Social Security retirement, survivors, or
disability insurance benefits (SSDI) automatic payments of $1,200 are
scheduled to begin arriving this week. If you are a recipient of one
of these federal benefits and entered your eligible dependent
information into the IRS system by April 22, you will also receive an
additional $500 for each eligible dependent. If you were unable to
enter your eligible dependent information into the IRS system by the
above deadline, you will still be able to receive the additional $500,
but you will need to file a tax return for year 2020.
For SSI and VA benefits recipients, the IRS announced a deadline of
May 5 to enter your eligible dependent information into the Non-Filers
Tool. If you are unable to enter your eligible dependent information
into the IRS system by the May 5 deadline, you will still receive your
$1,200 payment and you can apply to receive the additional $500, but
you will need to file a tax return for year 2020.
The Treasury Department will make these automatic payments to Social
Security retirement, SSDI, SSI, and VA recipients. Recipients will
generally receive the automatic $1,200 payments by direct deposit,
Direct Express debit card, or by paper check, just as they would
normally receive their benefits. A special note for Direct Express
account holders, you may use the Non-Filers tool, but you cannot
receive your and your children’s payment on your Direct Express
account. You may only select a bank account for direct deposit or
leave bank information blank and receive the money by mail.
In legislative news, we continue to advocate for the inclusion of the
Access Technology Affordability Act into upcoming COVID-19 relief
legislation. We are also working to include a waiver to eliminate the
waiting periods for SSDI and Medicare during the COVID-19 emergency.
Congress is scheduled to reconvene as early as next week, and your
calls and emails on these topics are sure to make a difference. Our
Advocacy and Policy team will be sending out a legislative alert with
further instructions in the next few days.

 Celebrate #GivingTuesdayNow with Us:
#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving and unity, set to take
place on May 5, 2020, as an emergency response to the unprecedented
need caused by COVID-19. Our partner, the Gibney Family Foundation, is
generously matching all donations made. If you are able, please help
us continue to advocate and provide essential services by contributing
on #GivingTuesdayNow.

Seeking Those Applying for SSDI Benefits:
We are seeking blind persons who have recently been in the process of
applying for SSDI benefits and have had to sign various forms for
Social Security.  Additionally, we wish to speak with those blind
persons who recently have had to fill out the SSA Form 1696.  This is
the form which allows you to appoint someone else to represent you
before SSA.  This is time sensitive.  Please contact Valerie Yingling
at vyingling at nfb.org or 410-659-9314, extension 2440.

Requesting Information about Inaccessible State Unemployment Websites:
We are investigating access barriers on state unemployment websites.
If you have recently attempted to file for unemployment benefits via
your state’s website and encountered access barriers, please contact
Valerie Yingling at vyingling at nfb.org or 410-659-9314, extension 2440.

Virtual Background for Federation Zoom Meetings:
Zoom offers the option to display virtual backgrounds during a Zoom
video call. For Federation virtual meetings hosted on Zoom, please
consider using a branded background that contains our logo if video is
being used. If interested in the branded background, please send a
request to Suzanne Shaffer at sshaffer at nfb.org. The background we will
send you is a repeating pattern of the National Federation of the
Blind logo in white over a faded green to blue backdrop.

Here are some tips on setting up the virtual background: position your
camera so you have a solid, single-color background behind you.
Although using a green screen gives the best results, a plain wall or
curtain is fine. Open your Zoom client, and in the settings menu,
select Virtual Backgrounds. Click Add Image and then select the image
you want from your computer (or choose to add a video). There is an
option to mirror image that you want to be sure is unselected or the
logo will be backwards.

 Veterans’ Celebration of Freedom:
Vernon Humphrey, president of the National Association of Blind
Veterans, is reaching out to all veterans that will be taking part in
the national convention so they can participate in the annual
Celebration of Freedom. Please contact him at mr_president at nabv.org or
706-329-7960 if you are, or you know of, a military veteran that will
be at convention this year.

Dates to Keep in Mind:
·       May 1: Distinguished Educator Award nomination deadline
·       May 1: Live Presidential Release
·       May 5: Giving Tuesday Now
·       June 1-12: NFB BELL® In-Home Edition
·       June 10: Membership Open House
·       June 22-July 3: NFB BELL® In-Home Edition
·       July 27-August 7: NFB BELL® In-Home Edition
·       July 14-19: NFB National Convention, Everywhere

 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.
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.Mark A. Riccobono,
President

200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230

-- 
Tammy Freitag, President
NFB Krafters' Division
H: 402-904-5105