[NFB_of_Georgia] President, National Federation of the Blind

Wed Jun 3 02:18:49 UTC 2026

*’s Notebook*

*National Federation of the Blind*

*Mark A. Riccobono*

*officeofthepresident at nfb.org* <officeofthepresident at nfb.org>

*410-659-9314*

Dear Federation Family,

Please Remember To See Attachment Below!

and share with family and friends.

As leaders, we can easily become occupied with meetings, budgets,
newsletters, convention planning, fundraising, advocacy, and organizational
administration. All of those activities have value. However, none of them
matter if we are not continually bringing new people into our movement and
helping them build meaningful relationships within the Federation. The
National Federation of the Blind has never grown because of marketing
campaigns, websites, or organizational structures. We grow because one
blind person develops a relationship with another blind person. Membership
development is relationship development. If we are not intentionally
investing time in building relationships with blind people who are not yet
active in our movement, we should carefully examine our priorities.

Here are some practical ways affiliate presidents, division leaders, chapter
 presidents, and board members can strengthen membership development:

   - Maintain a Prospective Member List: Every chapter, division, and
   affiliate should maintain an active list of blind people who have expressed
   interest, attended an event, made contact, or been referred by someone
   else. A name on a list should always have a next step attached to it.
   - Assign Ownership: Prospective members should never be "everyone's
   responsibility." Assign board members or chapter leaders to personally
   connect with specific individuals and follow up consistently.
   - Make Recruitment a Standing Agenda Item: At every board meeting,
   chapter meeting, and division meeting, ask: Who are we currently
   developing? Who has joined recently? Who needs additional support or
   connection?
   - Engage Chapters in Membership Growth: Membership development should
   not be viewed as the responsibility of affiliate leadership alone. Every
   chapter should have specific goals and plans for reaching blind people in
   its community.
   - Create Referral Networks: Build relationships with rehabilitation
   agencies, schools, libraries, senior centers, employers, and eye-care
   professionals. Make sure they know how to connect blind people with the
   Federation.
   - Follow Up Quickly: A blind person who reaches out should hear from a
   Federation leader within days, not weeks. Early contact often determines
   whether a person becomes engaged.
   - Invite Before You Need Volunteers: Too often we ask people to help
   only after they have been involved for years. Give new members meaningful
   opportunities to contribute early so they begin building ownership in the
   organization.
   - Focus on One-on-One Conversations: Large meetings are important, but
   relationships are usually built through personal conversations. Schedule
   coffee meetings, phone calls, Zoom conversations, and informal gatherings.
   - Connect Members to Members: The strongest retention strategy is
   helping people develop multiple relationships within the movement.
   Introduce new members to others who share similar interests, professions,
   life experiences, or goals.
   - Track Progress: Review membership data regularly. How many new
   contacts have been identified? How many attended meetings? How many became
   members? How many have taken on responsibilities? What gets measured gets
   improved.
   - Develop Future Leaders Early: Do not wait for someone to become a
   chapter president before investing in them. Look for people with
   passion, curiosity, and commitment, and begin mentoring them immediately.
   - Tell Our Story Constantly: People are drawn to a movement when they
   see its impact. Share stories of transformation, advocacy victories,
   personal achievement, and collective action. Help prospective members
   understand what the Federation makes possible.
   - Ask People about Membership: Are you asking blind people all of the
   time if they are members, and, if not, engaging them in conversations about
   why they have not joined yet? Often times, a respectful conversation about
   what membership means and an invitation for people to put their voice into
   the mix helps them know membership can matter in their life. Remember that
   you may need to ask many times before it clicks.

These are just some thoughts. I encourage you to share feedback on what is
working and what is not.

*Critical Actions:*

*Give $25 Toolkits Attached*

As part of our strategy for the 2026 Give $25 Campaign, we’re aiming to
expand our outreach to friends, family, and everyone in our networks. To
support this, we have two toolkits: one designed for members to help them
make asks, and another for affiliates and chapters to encourage their
members to reach out as well. By using these resources and connecting with
your network, we can really make an impact and ensure this campaign is our
most successful yet. Please join us in reaching out and encourage others to
do the same.

 *Convention:*

*Convention Agenda Is Available:*

This year’s convention agenda is ready! Currently the HTML version is
available at
nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/2026-national-convention-agenda.
This will be followed in quick succession by the English and Spanish Word,
.brf, and audio versions, which will be posted as they are finalized. The
first preconvention email to attendees that goes out later this week will
share all the digital formats.

*Calling All Door Prizes!:*

The NFB door prize team is hard at work planning for this year’s
convention. If your affiliate, divisions or chapters want to donate to the
in-person door prizes, you can deliver it to Bennett Prows or Kenia Flores
on the stage before or during breaks of the general session. Please label
the prize in Braille and print so our team knows what it is and who donated
it. If you are donating cash, put it in an envelope labeled with the amount
and who it is from—our team wants to acknowledge your generosity.

Our registered virtual attendees are also eligible to win gift cards or
Independence Market gift certificates. Your affiliate, division, or chapter
can help the NFB with virtual door prizes by writing a check payable to
National Federation of the Blind and mailing it to 200 East Wells Street,
Baltimore, Maryland, 21230, Attention: Fiscal Services – Virtual DP and
write Virtual Door Prizes in the check memo. Also, please send an email to
Prize at nfb.org to let us know to expect your organization’s contribution.

*National Convention Career Fair:*

The Employment Committee will host the in-person National Convention Career
Fair. This event connects employers ready to hire with jobseekers ready to
launch their careers, providing valuable networking opportunities.

Jobseekers: Complete the jobseeker registration form
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/employment/career-fair-jobseeker-registration>
 by June 12. Walk-ins are welcome, but we strongly encourage
preregistration to receive employer and event information.
Employers: Complete the employer registration form
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=644> by June 12.
For more information on the career fair, jobseekers should contact Michael
Beattie at michaelbeattie at yahoo.com. Employers, contact Manahil Jafri at
manahiljafri at gmail.com.

 *News:*

*Donated Services Reminder:*

Just a reminder to turn in your donated services forms (
nfb.org/get-involved/donated-services-form) and to please remind those in
your affiliate to do the same. We are tracking fewer hours this year than
last, and this impacts our annual financials, which influence donors.
Please take a few minutes to follow up. Questions can be directed to
Belinda Hooks at extension 2508.

*Copy & Paste Content for Sharing:*

The following content contains information to share in your affiliate
communications—simply copy and paste to your affiliate’s social media,
newsletters, and direct communications as needed.

*Independence Market Hours:*

The Independence Market will be closed from July 1 through July 14. In
addition, leading up to convention, the showroom will be closed from June
22 through June 30. Our eCommerce system will not close and items will ship
while we are at convention.

Note that while the showroom is closed from June 22 through June 30,
customers can still stop by in person and place or pick up orders; however,
there will be nothing on display. We have one set of display items, and
these items will be packed during this timeframe. Thank you for your
understanding!

*UPS Shipping for Independence Market Items:*

Customers can now purchase items that are not eligible to be shipped via
Free Matter directly through our eCommerce site with UPS shipping. Some
notable products that fit this description include NFB-branded merchandise,
tumblers, Meta glasses, and other featured items.

*Volunteers Needed for Independence Market During National Convention:*

If you are interested in volunteering at the Independence Market during the
2026 National Convention, please contact Danielle McCann at dmccann at nfb.org for
more information. Opportunities are available for demonstrators and
storekeepers, and all assistance is greatly appreciated.

*Federation Sues Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human
Services Regarding Delay of Website Accessibility Rule:*

On Thursday, May 21, the National Federation of the Blind filed a lawsuit
challenging the administration’s abrupt delay of critical website
accessibility features designed to ensure blind people and people with
other disabilities can access essential government and healthcare services
online. The lawsuit challenges actions by the US Department of Justice
(DOJ) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that
postponed long-anticipated compliance deadlines under federal disability
rights laws, without public notice or input. Regulations finalized by DOJ
and HHS in April and May 2024, after years of public engagement and
rulemaking, required state and local governments and those who receive
federal funding from HHS to make their websites and mobile applications
accessible to people with disabilities, including those who are blind and
rely on screen readers and other assistive technology. However, on April
20, 2026, and May 11, 2026, respectively, DOJ and HHS issued interim final
rules delaying the compliance deadlines by a year. You can read our full
press release regarding the DOJ and HHS lawsuit
<https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-sues-government-over-delay-accessibility-rules>
 in our Press Room <https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room>.

*Department of Health and Human Services Section 504 Interim Final Rule
Response:*

On May 11, the Department of Health and Human Services published an interim
final rule delaying the implementation of website and mobile application
accessibility regulations for Rehabilitation Act Section 504 covered
entities. Much like our response to the ADA Title II website rule delay, we
believe this postponement for implementation is completely unwarranted. I
encourage you to read our official response to the Health and Human
Services interim final rule
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/comments-response-department-health-and-human-services>
 that we submitted on Friday, May 29.

*ADA Title II Digital Accessibility Interim Final Rule – Submit Your
Comments:*

This is a quick reminder that there is still time for you to submit your
individual comments in response to the Department of Justice’s interim
final rule on website and mobile application accessibility for ADA Title
II-covered entities. As a reminder, we sent out an advocacy alert
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/legislative-priorities/legislative-alerts/department-justice-delays>
 on this topic on May 17, and we encourage you to read it and submit
comments so that the DOJ understands how critical digital accessibility is
to us.

*Reminders:*

*Honor Roll Call:*

As a reminder, the Honor Roll Call is when affiliates and national
divisions support our sustaining funds: Kenneth Jernigan Fund, SUN shares,
White Cane Fund, and Jacobus tenBroek Memorial Fund. To make your 2026
contributions, write a check payable to National Federation of the Blind
and mail it to 200 East Wells Street; Baltimore, Maryland, 21230,
Attention: Fiscal Services – Roll Call and write “Roll Call” in the check
memo. Please send an email torollcall at nfb.org detailing the amount to go to
each fund and the name of the organization, so we record the contributions
correctly. All pre-convention contributions will be acknowledged on our
website. If your organization is making a pledge to be paid later this
year, please send an email to rollcall at nfb.org telling us how much is being
pledged for each fund and when to expect the check. All pledges should be
fulfilled by August 31, 2026.

*NFB Camp:*

NFB Camp will again be part of convention. We ask affiliates and divisions
to consider helping with this expense. We provide this service to families
for a nominal fee; therefore, your help is greatly appreciated. Please make
all contributions for NFB Camp payable to National Federation of the Blind
and mail it to 200 East Wells Street; Baltimore, Maryland, 21230,
Attention: Fiscal Services – NFB Camp and write NFB Camp in the check memo.
Please send an email to fiscalservices at nfb.org to let us know the name of
the organization or division and the amount of the contribution.

*PAC:*

Before you start PACing for convention, please consider supporting the PAC
program with a contribution toward the PAC gift-card prizes. During the
convention, those who participate in PAC, either signing up or increasing
their donation, are eligible to win gift cards. Please support our PAC
program with a donation to the prize fund. Checks for PAC prizes are to be
payable to National Federation of the Blind and mailed to Attention: Fiscal
Services-PAC, 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore MD, 21230; include “PAC
prizes” in the check memo. Also, please send an email to PAC at nfb.org to let
us know to expect your organization’s support.

*Multiple Requests:*

You can write one check for the above support requests if you send an email
to one of the email addresses provided and clearly list the breakdown of
the check. You can also write multiple checks and mail them in one
envelope. Please make sure to include the memo notes on the checks and to
send the necessary emails so our fiscal services staff know what to expect
and record them correctly. All envelopes need to be mailed to 200 East
Wells Street, Baltimore MD, 21230, Attention: Fiscal Services.

*Dates to Keep in Mind:*

   - July 3-8: National Convention; Austin, Texas
   - July 2-7, 2027: National Convention; Austin, Texas
   - July 3-8, 2028: National Convention; Chicago, Illinois
   - July 2-7, 2029: National Convention; Chicago, Illinois

Introduction to the Organized Blind Movement Calls

   - Wednesday, August 5
   - Wednesday, November 4

Chapter Presidents Calls

   - Thursday, June 11 and Sunday, June 14
   - Thursday, September 10 and Sunday, September 13
   - Thursday, December 10 and Sunday, December 13

The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and
all blind people in the United States. We know 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. Our collective power, determination,
and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.

Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
410-659-9314 | Officeofthepresident at nfb.org

Please engage with me through Riccobono Personal AI
<https://riccobono.personal.ai/messaging/profile>
Mastodon: @President at nfb.social
Pronouns: he, him, his

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

-- 
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. Our collective power, determination,
and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.
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