[NFB-Krafters-Korner] OT: [NFB-Division-Leaders] NFB President’s Notebook - week of 03/23/2020

Thu Mar 26 12:31:11 UTC 2020

Wanted to share information with you.
Tammy

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "President, National Federation of the Blind"
<OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2020 20:19:18 +0000
Subject: [NFB-Division-Leaders] NFB President’s Notebook - week of 03/23/2020
To: "President, National Federation of the Blind" <OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>

President’s Notebook
National Federation of the Blind
Mark A. Riccobono
officeofthepresident at nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>
410-659-9314

Dear Fellow Federationists,

Things continue to move quickly around our COVID-19 response. I was
very pleased to have so many of you on the call last Sunday, and your
reactions to the call were extremely encouraging. We will continue to
maintain those calls as long as they are useful. As you likely already
know, since that call the governor of Maryland called for nonessential
businesses to close. We had anticipated this and although we likely
could have made an argument that our work qualifies in the essential
category, we elected to implement our complete closure plan as of 5
p.m. yesterday. While our actual building is closed, the work of the
Federation and our staff does not stop. With the exception of the
Independence Market, you should be able to reach our staff at their
usual extensions during the normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
eastern time. If you need to reach me, you can go through Beth Braun
at extension 2369. Many of you know our team also monitors our work
around the clock. You can of course reach out to mobile phone numbers
where that is appropriate. I am coordinating the work of the
Federation from my home office (my kitchen breakfast bar), and I
notice that many of you have had no trouble finding me. Continue to
stay in touch and to keep up the great work protecting and assisting
our members. There is plenty of Federation work to keep our minds
busy. If nothing else, we need your articles for the Monitor.
Although we have temporarily stopped shipping canes in our free white
cane program, it is our hope that we will be able to begin fulfilling
requests again very soon. Please continue to encourage people to make
requests for free white canes through our online form so that their
requests are ready to be processed.

During our call Sunday I offered each affiliate that is prepared to
use it a free Zoom Pro account. A number of you have already made
requests. This resource is available to you and I encourage every
affiliate to use it to build our movement. We will have a training
this Friday, March 27, at 1:00 p.m. eastern. A separate email with
details for this training will be sent to affiliate and division
presidents soon.
In a separate communication and text today, I will be reaching out
about support from Lyft to help people facing emergency transportation
needs because of COVID-19 between now and the end of the month. We are
relying on our affiliate presidents to effectively and quickly get
this relief to those who might need it.
As I announced on the call Sunday, we will be putting together a
weekly calendar of affiliate/national events available to blind people
through the network of the National Federation of the Blind. As you
develop activities that you are willing to have open to others—you
probably do not want everyone in the nation on your affiliate board
meeting—please send the details to
communicationsteam at nfb.org<mailto:communicationsteam at nfb.org>. If
there are more resources you need us to develop, please let me know.
As we discussed on the call, we need to continue to talk about the
needs and the opportunities to connect and assist blind people
resulting from COVID-19. Keep those conversations going and keep your
thoughts coming my way.
Thank you for your great work to continue building our organization. I
am filled with hope, energy, and love by participating in the National
Federation of the Blind because my expectations are raised, my
contributions make a difference to me and to others, and I can
celebrate the realization of my dreams with my Federation family.

Critical Actions:
COVID-19 Resources:
The National Federation of the Blind is compiling resources that may
be particularly useful to blind people facing challenges during the
COVID-19 emergency. This includes Federation resources such as
NFB-NEWSLINE® and distance-education initiatives as well as other
resources as they are made available. This information can be found at
http://www.nfb.org/covid19.

With directives being different from state to state, the Federation
recommends connecting to affiliate presidents for state and local
resources. If you have found other resources that may be useful,
please email the information to
communicationsteam at nfb.org<mailto:communicationsteam at nfb.org>.

Accessible Executive Orders:
We have urged the governors of all states to ensure that their
executive orders regarding the coronavirus emergency are posted to the
internet in accessible formats that blind people using screen-access
technology can easily download and read. The full press release is
available on our website in our Press
Room<https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-urges-governors-issue-accessible-executive-orders>.

Scholarship Outreach:
Cayte Mendez, NFB Scholarship Committee chair, needs your help and I
wish to underscore her sentiments that this is an opportunity to let
these students know we are there for them. Per the email to the
affiliate leadership list, Cayte says: "I know that you are extremely
busy right now, monitoring the evolving situations in your states with
regard to COVID-19 and its impact on blind people. However, I would
like to ask you to please reach out to the scholarship applicants in
your state. You all received an email at the beginning of the month
containing email addresses and phone numbers for these applicants. I
know that phone calls may not be possible right now, but please take
the time to at least send an email. In addition to reminding the
students to finalize their scholarship applications, this would also
be a great opportunity to let our students know that the National
Federation of the Blind is here for them in these times of change and
challenge. I hope that all of you are safe and well, and would
appreciate your help in these last few days of scholarship promotion
to ensure that as many of our students as possible have the
opportunity to be considered for a National Federation of the Blind
scholarship.”

Vote by Mail:
Has your state moved its 2020 primary election or upcoming local
elections to all vote-by-mail because of the coronavirus pandemic?
Vote-by-mail can be made accessible with electronic-ballot delivery,
but many elections officials are unfamiliar with these systems. The
Accessible Vote-by-Mail Toolkit, developed by the National Federation
of the Blind with grant funds from the US Department of Health and
Human Services, will provide our members with the information they
need to know to advocate for accessible vote-by-mail. Visit our
Voting, Accessibility, and the
Law<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/national-center-nonvisual-election-3>
webpage to download a BRF or MS Word file of the toolkit. You will
also find many other important voting-related resources on this
webpage.  If you have questions or need assistance in your advocacy
efforts, please contact Lou Ann Blake, deputy executive director of
Blindness Initiatives at lblake at nfb.org<mailto:lblake at nfb.org> or
410-659-9314, extension 2221.

Virtual Instruction for Students During COVID-19 School Closures:
We continue to work to support students whose coursework has shifted
to inaccessible web-based educational technology. We are particularly
interested in hearing from students who are directed to use Florida
Virtual Schools (FLVS), McGraw-Hill’s ALEKS or Connect, or Pearson’s
MyLab or Mastering products. Please complete the NFB’s education
technology survey<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/education-technology-survey>
if you use any of these products, so that we can monitor their
accessibility.

News:
COVID-19 Update - Jernigan Institute:
Per the March 23, 2020, executive order of the Maryland governor
regarding the closure of non-essential businesses, the National
Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute will be closing until
further notice. However, we will continue our important work remotely
for now. While much of our program service continues, this closure
means we are not able to operate our Independence Market, resulting in
our inability to ship literature and materials to blind people, which
includes our free white cane program.

Blog Post - Coming Together During COVID-19:
The National Federation of the Blind is monitoring the
disproportionate impact that the COVID-19 emergency is having on blind
people. In our recent blog, Liz Wisecarver, chair of the NFB
Communication Committee, touches on a few of the current concerns like
transportation and access to information, and how we address the issue
at all levels of the organization with Zoom meetings and training,
advocacy specific to COVID-19 impact, and providing resources related
to this time. Read Voice of the Nation’s Blind
Blog<https://www.nfb.org/blog/coming-together-during-covid-19-concerns-and-connections>.

COVID-19 Information Available in Braille and Audio:
COVID-19 news updates are available in the "Breaking News" category of
NFB-NEWSLINE® and are now available throughout the United States,
including Puerto Rico. This includes states that do not have a sponsor
for the NFB-NEWSLINE service and are therefore usually only able to
receive limited content. Because the content can be accessed with
Braille devices such as notetakers and refreshable Braille displays,
it is also available to deafblind individuals who cannot get timely
information from radio or television. Learn how to access the
“Breaking News”
section<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-newsline>.

Taking a Break with Podcasts and Reading:
While people should stay informed of COVID-19, take some time away
from it as well. Catch up on the Nation’s Blind
Podcast<https://www.nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/nations-blind-podcast>.
The latest episode touches on what it means to live the life you want
with Braille Monitor editor, Gary Wunder. Additionally, read the
latest Braille Monitor<https://www.nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/braille-monitor>
and Future Reflections<https://www.nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/future-reflections>.
If you have not already, please complete the quick, five-minute
Braille Monitor survey<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BrailleMonitor>.

>From Advocacy and Policy:
Thanks to all of our members who responded to our two legislative
alerts last week. The first legislative alert pertained to the Access
Technology Affordability Act. The second legislative alert urged our
members to contact their senators and representative to oppose a
provision in one of the coronavirus relief bills which would have
potentially waived parts of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education (IDEA) Act during this coronavirus pandemic. As a result of
our advocacy, this waiver authority was modified to be a thirty-day
study.
In addition, the National Federation of the Blind has been urging
Congress to take three specific measures to ensure that the rights
blind Americans have spent years fighting for are not forgotten during
this time of crisis and hardship.
With respect to the SSDI program, we are asking that Congress instruct
the Social Security Administration to waive the five-month waiting
period to receive benefits. We are also asking that the
twenty-four-month waiting period for Medicare benefits be waived. The
elimination of these waiting periods will allow much-needed benefits
to flow more quickly to those who apply during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are exploring other aspects of the legislation to improve
transportation, access to testing, and equal access to training and
information as a result of the coronavirus.
Finally, we are asking Congress to appropriate emergency funds to help
support Randolph-Sheppard vendors who have lost business due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
This morning the Senate is going to vote on an amended version of the
third coronavirus relief bill. We will be examining the contents of
this bill as soon as it is available to the public and determine next
steps.

Affiliate and Chapter Leader Training – Relationship Building:
We know that relationships are key to so much of what we do.
Fundraising is all about relationships. Networking is key to greater
advocacy and building public awareness. Marketing and communications
improve when we have forged strong relationships.
As part of the National Federation of the Blind’s strategic plan, our
leaders will share best practices, as well as receive training and
tips regarding building and stewarding relationships. We have two
sessions planned and you may sign up for either one. The first session
will take place on April 8, 2020, at 9:00 p.m. eastern and the second
will take place on April 9, 2020, at 8:00 p.m. eastern.
Participants will connect via conference call. Please reach out to
Brie Darnall at bdarnall at nfb.org<mailto:bdarnall at nfb.org> to sign up
for one of the two sessions offered. Better relationship management
will improve fundraising, advocacy, marketing, and communications.
Join other Federation leaders to share your ideas and to learn more.

Dream Makers Circle State Affiliate Flyer Available:
During the Presidents’ Retreat, a request was made for a flyer
specific to affiliates about planned
giving<https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving>
opportunities. You can now request a printable flier for your state
affiliate to use when speaking with people about leaving a legacy to
the Federation. Remember that whether a gift is given to our national
organization or one of our affiliates, the donor is inducted into our
Dream Makers Circle. To obtain the printable flyer, please reach out
to Suzanne Shaffer at sshaffer at nfb.org<mailto:sshaffer at nfb.org>. For
information about legacy giving or our Dream Makers Circle, contact
Patti Chang at pchang at nfb.org<mailto:pchang at nfb.org>.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

  *   Spring Conventions<https://www.nfb.org/about-us/state-affiliates/state-conventions>
(including new dates for postponed conventions)
  *   March 31: Deadline for scholarship
applications<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program>

·       April 15: Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award<https://www.nfb.org/bolotin>
application deadline

  *   May 1: Distinguished Educator
Award<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/distinguished-educator-blind-students-award>
nomination deadline

  *   June 21-27: NFB
EQ<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb-eq>;
St. Paul, Minnesota
  *   July 14-19: NFB National
Convention<https://www.nfb.org/convention>, Houston, Texas

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
(410) 659-9314 |
officeofthepresident at nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>

[National Federation of the Blind]<https://nfb.org/>

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