[NFB-Krafters-Korner] OT: NFB Information

Mon Nov 2 03:26:06 UTC 2020

Election Day Hotline Available for November 3:

Every polling place is required to have at least one accessible voting
machine available for every federal election so that voters with
disabilities can cast a private and independent ballot. To help ensure that
we are not denied this right, the National Federation of the Blind will
host an Election Day hotline that blind and low-vision voters, poll
workers, and voting rights advocates can call when problems with accessible
voting technology or other barriers are preventing a blind voter from
casting a private and independent ballot. The hotline will be available on
November 3, 2020, by calling 1-877-632-1940 from 7:00 a.m. eastern to 8:00
p.m. Pacific. Learn more about the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and our
other voting resources at https://www.nfb.org/vote. 

News:

Year-End Cosponsor Push:

Thanks to all of you, we have a record number of cosponsors on the Access
Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 2086/S. 815) in both the House and
Senate. Just this past week, we added four new cosponsors in the House:
Bruce Westerman (Arkansas), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Florida), Lois
Frankel (Florida), and Joseph Kennedy (Massachusetts). Our total cosponsor
count in the House is now at 132. Well done, Arkansas, Florida, and
Massachusetts.

The Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act, or AIM HIGH
(H.R. 5312/S. 3095), also gained a new House cosponsor last week in Matt
Cartwright (Pennsylvania). This brings the total cosponsor count for AIM
HIGH in the House to 44. Keep up the good work, Pennsylvania. 

The more cosponsors we get, the more we can show that these efforts have
broad bipartisan support, which will draw attention to our bills and give
them a better chance of getting passed. It will also benefit us in the next
Congress by making it easier for us to gain a lot of early support from
members of Congress who cosponsored the bill in a previous session.

NFB-NEWSLINE®:

Attention Spanish speakers: NFB-NEWSLINE now has an additional publication
in Spanish, People en Español.

NFB-NEWSLINE is also looking to provide more publications in our “Kids
Reading Corner.” We are asking parents for possible items to include in
this section, so please send your suggestions to swhite at nfb.org
<mailto:swhite at nfb.org> . 

Braille Readers Are Leaders—A Contest for Children and Adults:

Encourage more Braille. Improve reading skills. Win prizes. The National
Federation of the Blind is partnering with the American Action Fund for
Blind Children and Adults to present the 2020-2021 Braille Readers Are
Leaders contest to encourage Braille literacy and reading for pleasure.
Children and adults across the United States compete against their
same-grade peers to read the most Braille pages between December 1, 2020,
through January 18, 2021. Registration opens November 1. Learn more about
the Braille Readers Are Leaders
<https://www.actionfund.org/programs/braille-readers-are-leaders>  contest.

Scholarship Program–Call for Applications Starts November 1:

Every year, the National Federation of the Blind awards more than $120,000
to blind scholars across the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and
Puerto Rico in recognition of their achievements and professional
aspirations. The scholarship program is our commitment to academic
excellence and leadership among blind students, and each winner is awarded
on the basis of academic excellence, community service, and leadership. The
application process opens this week, November 1. Review the scholarship
application checklist
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-
program/scholarship-program-application-checklist>  and the scholarship
program FAQs
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-
program/scholarship-program-faqs> . Share this opportunity that invests in
the future of blind people. Learn about the eligibility and requirements of
the 2021 scholarship program
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-
program> . 

Gratitude:

Thanks go out to National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts Greater
Springfield Chapter and the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio for
recent donations. Support from our chapters, affiliates, and divisions is
much appreciated, especially at this time. General donations that aren’t
restricted to a particular program are the most helpful.

NFB STEM2U:

Space is filling quickly for STEM2U. For more than fifteen years, the
National Federation of the Blind has been working to improve opportunities
for blind students in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics. In NFB STEM2U, we are bringing what we have learned directly
to students and families in their homes. Blind students of varying ages
will receive instruction from National Federation of the Blind personnel
and expert instructors via the Zoom platform. Students from Colorado,
Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Utah, and Virginia are
eligible. More information and registration can be found at
https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/education/nfb-stem2u.

Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium:

Mark your calendar to virtually attend the 2021 Jacobus tenBroek Disability
Law Symposium
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/jacobus-tenbroek-disab
ility-law-symposium> , "Race, Diversity, and Inclusion and the Right to
Live in the World," on March 24 through March 26. The symposium will
feature more in-depth plenary sessions and more interactive workshops than
ever before. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from and network with
many of the leading disability rights advocates from throughout the United
States. If you have questions about the symposium, please contact Lou Ann
Blake at lblake at nfb.org <mailto:lblake at nfb.org>  or at 410-659-9314,
extension 2221, or Stacie Dubnow at sdubnow at nfb.org
<mailto:sdubnow at nfb.org>  or 410-659-9314, extension 2442.

Reminders:

Training All about Soliciting Bequests and other Planned Gifts:

Is your affiliate soliciting planned gifts? Would you like to help bring in
unrestricted money to both your affiliate and to our national organization?
Do you want to understand all the ways that planned gifts can be made?
Shall we share ideas about how these gifts can be solicited? 

If you answered yes, this upcoming training is for you or someone you
designate. We plan to offer two training sessions. You can elect either
Monday, November 9, 2020, at 8:00 p.m. eastern, or Wednesday, November 18,
2020, at 8:00 p.m. eastern. Please mark your calendars. 

The Zoom information is as follows:

https://zoom.us/j/7733076440?pwd=ZXAzZUNlMCttRndMN2R1MllzV25jZz09

Meeting ID: 773 307 6440

Passcode: 632632

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,7733076440#,,,,,,0#,,632632# US (Chicago)

+13017158592,,7733076440#,,,,,,0#,,632632# US (Germantown)

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