[NFB_of_Georgia] National President's Notes

Tue Oct 27 16:40:28 UTC 2020

President’s NotebookNational Federation of the BlindMark A. Riccobono
officeofthepresident at nfb.org410-659-9314

Fellow Federationists:

It’s the last week in October and that is the scariest thing I could think
to open this entry with today. Sunday we will be kicking off the November
Presidential Release and soon enough we will be thinking about
Thanksgiving. However, we still have a lot of great work to do until then,
so do not let up on our priorities.

We are almost to the finish line in matching the generous gift from Freedom
Scientific, a Vispero brand and the maker of JAWS for Windows. If you can
make a last-minute contribution to push us over the $50,000 line for
October, it will make all the difference.

I hope you have had the opportunity to drop into the great conventions
happening around the country. I enjoyed spending Saturday in South Dakota
where we have a new president; congratulations to Mike Klimisch. However, I
was able to rush over to Hawaii during the lunch hour to drop in on the
outstanding virtual cane walk that happened there, and I even got to enjoy
the fiftieth anniversary banquet of the Nebraska affiliate. It was nice to
enjoy some Nebraska Federation humor from the treasure vault on Saturday
night to close out a long day. There are a ton of conventions still to
enjoy this fall including a number of them this weekend. Join the
Federation family and bring your best costume or simply dress up and act
like you do not spend your days in your pajamas. Seriously, keep up the
great work with the Federation spirit and business happening virtually
during this busy fall season. It has been the shot in the arm I have needed.

Critical Actions:*This Sunday, Attend the Presidential Release:*

The November Presidential Release
<https://www.nfb.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=399> of the National
Federation of the Blind will be delivered on Sunday, November 1. After the
remarks, there is an opportunity for questions. Submit questions in advance
to cdanielsen at nfb.organd put PR499 in the subject line, or call
410-659-9314, extension 2473. Closed captions and Spanish interpretation
will be available. Learn more about the ways to access the presidential
release <https://www.nfb.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=398>.

*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.

*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-disability-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 or at
410-659-9314, extension 2221, or Stacie Dubnow at 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)

Dates to Keep in Mind:

   - October: Meet the Blind Month
   - November 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
   - November 1: Applications for NFB scholarships
   <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program>
    accepted
   - December 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
   - December 9: Open-House Gathering call, 8:00 p.m. eastern
   - February 8, 2021: Washington Seminar Great Gathering-In
   - July 6-11, 2021: NFB National Convention
   <https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/>, New Orleans,
   Louisiana

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

Twitter: @Riccobono

Pronouns: he, him, his

-- 
Dorothy Griffin - President
National Federation of the Blind of Georgia
dgriffin at nfbga.org
770-374-4832

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.