[NFB_of_Georgia] NFB President’s Notebook - Week of 02/02/2

Tue Feb 2 23:15:01 UTC 2021

Dear Fellow Federationists,

Happy Black History Month. Thank you to all of our Black leaders who
continue to teach us about the important intersecting characteristics of
our movement and how we can use those experiences to drive a stronger
future together. I have been reading President Obama’s autobiography, and I
have been thinking about it in terms of the experience of Black leaders
within our organization. It has further strengthened my appreciation for
the multiple of factors these leaders need to grapple with as they seek to
engage as elected leaders within our movement. We can all be grateful for
the openness and honesty of our Black leaders and the inequalities they
have felt within and outside our organization. I continue to value that our
leadership welcomes even the hardest of discussions as a way of creating
healing and understanding. I welcome reading assignments or other
activities from this leadership group that might help enhance my continued
learning.

I look forward to being together in activities of our Washington Seminar
next week. Please promote our Great Gathering-In meeting (
https://zoom.us/j/97142192062) Zoom information below as widely as
possible. The bigger the gathering, the better. We have a lot of great
things to accomplish together this year. Let’s show the power of what we
can do together.

I made a number of important updates last evening on Presidential Release
#502 <https://youtu.be/v8WxV6U65uM>. Please give attention to the diversity
and inclusion activities and our safety updates that I shared last evening.
They are both essential to our ongoing membership development work.

*Critical Actions:*

*Presidential Release:*

In case you missed it last night, the February Presidential Release
<https://www.nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases> is
available (or will be this afternoon). The English and Spanish transcripts
will be posted as soon as they are available.

*2021 Washington Seminar:*

We are a mere seven days away from the start of the 2021 Washington
Seminar, so make sure you brush up on all of our legislative priorities for
this year. Fact sheets for all four of our legislative issues, along with
an audio file for an example meeting, can be found on our website at
www.nfb.org/washington-seminar, and are available in HTML, Word, and audio
formats. We also recently posted the full 2021 Washington Seminar Agenda,
so be sure to check it out. Finally, we are noticing appointments being
entered into the Washington Seminar Portal, but we just want to remind all
affiliates that if you do not wish to use the portal for your appointments
and ratings, hillappointments at nfb.org is still up and running and you can
submit your appointments there. We urge you to get your meetings in as soon
as possible.

*News:*

*Raise the Wage Act:*

On January 28, 2021, Representative Bobby Scott, Chairman of the House
Committee on Education and Labor, introduced H.R. 603, the Raise the Wage
Act. One of the key aspects of this bill is Section 6, which would
discontinue the issuance of 14(c) certificates upon its passage and
gradually increase, over a period of five years, the minimum wage for
disabled 14(c) employees until it was at least at the level of the federal
minimum wage. We strongly support this section of the bill.

*Accelerating Accessibility in 2021: Blind Driver Challenge:*

On Friday, January 29, the National Federation of the Blind celebrated our
tenth anniversary of the Blind Driver Challenge and the first blind driver
to independently drive 1.5 miles.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTHa_5Y5IA4> As part of the celebration
this year, we are prioritizing nonvisual accessibility in regards to
driverless technology. Learn more about the Blind Driver Challenge
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/blind-driver-challenge>
.

*February Braille Monitor: Access Now:*

The latest issue of the National Federation of the Blind flagship
publication is now available. February articles include a request for your
thoughts on image descriptions, Federation philosophy, education and
advocacy for blind students, and more! Read theFebruary 2021 *Braille
Monitor*.
<https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm21/bm2102/bm2102tc.htm>

*Submit an Article for the Braille Monitor: No Experience Needed*

The National Federation of the Blind is seeking articles for the *Braille
Monitor* that focuses on your lived experiences. Share a blind moment or a
strategy that other blind people should know about. To learn more or submit
an article, connect with Gary Wunder,*Braille Monitor* editor, at
gwunder at nfb.org.

*Independence Market: February Product of the Month and Sale Items:*

The February product of the month is the Kenneth Jernigan Cornbread Kit.
Dr. Kenneth Jernigan loved southern, fried cornbread and he devised this
kit. The kit contains a cast iron muffin pan that makes twelve
scalloped-shape muffins, an oil measurer, disposable filling cups, and two
cooking templates to guide you in getting the batter into the muffin pan.
Dr. Jernigan's "NFB cornbread" recipe is included in print and Braille and
the whole kit sells for $15.

The sale items are the carbon-fiber, rigid long white cane with metal glide
tip (available in sizes from 49 through 69 inches in two-inch increments)
and the solitaire and “Fox & Geese” board games. The carbon-fiber, long
white canes are on sale for $15, and the Solitaire and “Fox & Geese” games
are on sale for $10. To place an order for any of the above items, please
contact the Independence Market by calling 410-659-9314, extension 2216, or
by emailing independencemarket at nfb.org.

*Meet Our 2021 Teachers of Tomorrow:*

The National Federation of the Blind is excited to announce the class of
2021 Teachers of Tomorrow. This is an immersive, professional development
program that connects teachers of blind and low-vision students to the
lived experiences of blind people, equipping participants with knowledge
about the skills and attitudes that can help students thrive in a school
and beyond. Meet the 2021 Teachers of Tomorrow
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/education/teachers-tomorrow>!

*Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research**:*

Volume 11 Number 1
<https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/jbir/jbir21/jbir1101tc.html> of
our *Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research* is now available! The
tenth anniversary of our publication of this important online, scholarly
journal is celebrated in* “*Why Publish the Journal of Blindness Innovation
and Research?
<https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/jbir/jbir21/jbir110106abs.html>
*”* by*Braille Monitor* editor Gary Wunder. Other topics covered in this
issue include: *Changing Attitudes about Visual Impairment in the College
Classroom*
<https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/jbir/jbir21/jbir110101abs.html>
, *The Validation of the Actigraph GT3X Step Counter in Youth Who Are Blind*
<https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/jbir/jbir21/jbir110107abs.html>,
and *Natural Order of Braille Contractions*
<https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/jbir/jbir21/jbir110104abs.html>
*.*

*BELL Academy:*

We are once again excited to be offering our National Federation of the
Blind BELL® Academy, In-Home Edition, for the summer of 2021. This year,
students will be organized into classes based on their prior knowledge of
the Braille code, which means we will be better able to offer challenging
and fun content for Braille learners of all levels. The NFB BELL Academy is
appropriate for students ages four through twelve; applications for the
2021 program will be opening later this month.

*Dates to Keep in Mind:*

(all times eastern)

   - February 8: Washington Seminar
   <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar> Great
   Gathering-In
   - March 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - March 24-26: Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium
   - March 31: Scholarship application
   <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program/scholarship-program-application-checklist>
    deadline
   - April 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - April 15: Bolotin Awards <https://www.nfb.org/bolotin> nominations
   deadline
   - May 2: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - June 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - July 6-11: NFB 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.

-- 
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.