[NFBAZ-EastValleyChapter] The October Issue of Imagineering Our Future

Sat Oct 19 23:45:38 UTC 2024

Hey East Valley members!

You can find the October issue of Imagineering Our Future below. For your
convenience, it has also been included in the body of this email.

Enjoy!

Address:
<https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/imagineering-our-future/ar
chive/october-2024>
https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/imagineering-our-future/arc
hive/october-2024

October 2024

Letter from the President

October is  <https://nfb.org/programs-services/blind-month> Blind Equality
Achievement Month, and members of the National Federation of the Blind are
using it as an opportunity to share why they are a Federationist. My goal is
to meet and talk with more blind people during the year than anyone else I
can find. This includes blind people from all parts of the nation and from
all backgrounds. I am fortunate that I also get to interact with many blind
people around the world through our active membership in the World Blind
Union. A common theme among blind people is the power, hope, strength, and
shared wisdom they experience by becoming part of the organized blind
movement.

This week we rallied together blind people from many corners of the nation
and from very different backgrounds. Some were young college students,
others were professionals in the technology industry, some were individuals
who went blind during the past decade. We all came together on the streets
of San Francisco to share a public message of equality in the face of
discriminatory practices by the major rideshare companies--Lyft and Uber.
All of us present, including our nonblind friends that joined us, shared a
commitment to not simply demanding equality but being part of the solutions.
Giving back and fully contributing are key values in our Federation and we
demonstrated that this week in San Francisco.

When I think about the reasons that I am a Federationist, the list continues
to grow especially in a special month like this one. This week we also
celebrated distributing our 100,000th free white cane. That represents a lot
of connections between blind people and local community mentors sharing the
gift of independence.

Federation members and our partners share a strong commitment to upholding
our values and stewarding the precious financial resources we receive from
our donors. For us, Blind Equality Achievement Month is truly about
highlighting the contributions the blind make in our local communities and
demonstrating the power of building communities that empower all citizens to
contribute.

I am spending much of my month on the road meeting with blind people and
learning about opportunities to advance our mission. My travels have me
visiting Kentucky, Idaho, California, Iowa, and Oregon. What makes the long
days of travel worth it are the stories that are shared with me about the
difference our movement makes. Thank you for the role you play in supporting
those stories. I hope you will continue to read our publications, tune into
our podcast, and follow us in social media to share in our successes and
experience the difference we make together.

Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind

Sending Thanks to Our Supporters

The National Federation of the Blind values our network of supporters.
Whether you volunteer, help spread our message, contribute financially, or
help in a different way, know that we cannot make a difference without each
of you. The strength of the National Federation of the Blind is found in the
people who invent creative ways to help blind people live the lives they
want. Ramona exemplifies our ingenuity. Ramona and her family and friends
gave to the Museum of the Blind People's Movement by consolidating their
giving in honor of her mother's one-hundredth birthday.  

"My mom's one-hundredth birthday was coming up and we were thinking about
what to give her as a special gift. She doesn't need things you know. She
doesn't want tickets. What to do that would be meaningful, fun, and honor
who mom is? It was a lifetime of benefits and experiences for three blind
children that inspired us. Mom raised three blind children and lived
Federation philosophy before we met the Federation. She never stood in our
way and even worked for Dr. Kenneth Jernigan in Iowa. We decided to pool
contributions and give in her honor to support the Museum of the Blind
People's movement as recognition of all that she and the Federation did to
mold three independent blind children into blind adults who live the lives
we want."

We are so appreciative of the people who make up this movement. Thanks for
being a part of what we accomplish together. 

Latest News at the NFB

Invest in Dignity: A Matching Gift Challenge to Advance the Lives of Blind
People

To kick off Blind Equality Achievement Month the National Federation of the
Blind is excited to announce a $100,000 matching gift challenge thanks to
our partners at HumanWare and anonymous donors. From October through
December, the impact of your investment in equality, dignity, access to
information, and so much more will be doubled. Watch our announcement video
and learn about ways to give at the
<https://nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/matching-gift-opportunity> Matching
Gift Challenge webpage. 

National Federation of the Blind Dreams Participating in The Bay Bridge Run

The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children invites you to
participate in the Bay Bridge Run this fall! On November 10, 2024, join team
National Federation of the Blind Dreamers, led by the NOPBC Board of
Directors. Whether you're running or walking, participating in person or
virtually, this is your chance to help bridge the gap between blind people
and our dreams. Learn about how to register or support the team at
<https://nfb.org/BayBridge> https://nfb.org/BayBridge. 

Blind People Rally to Raise Awareness of Discrimination by Rideshare
Companies

The National Federation of the Blind, which advances the lives of its
members and all blind people in the United States, led a rally at the
headquarters of ride-sharing giants Uber and Lyft on October 15. The
Rideshare Rally was held to draw attention to the companies' failure to stop
discrimination against blind individuals, particularly those accompanied by
guide dogs, which violates state and federal law and the companies' own
stated policies. The rally, which drew blind people from across the nation,
took place on White Cane Awareness Day, which celebrates the ability of
blind people to travel independently.

<https://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/blind-people-rally-uber-lyft/3679
582/> Read about the Ride Share Rally and the NFB's advocacy for the rights
of blind passengers in the NBC Bay Area News.

National Federation of the Blind Celebrates Teachers of Tomorrow

The 2024-25 cohort of the NFB Teachers of Tomorrow Program kicks off this
fall. The goal of this innovative program is to help teachers of blind
students gain a real connection to the lived experiences of blind people
through the National Federation of the Blind, the transformative membership
and advocacy organization of blind Americans, and to help them recognize the
incredible value that blind mentors provide for these teachers and for their
students.

The program is free to participants thanks to a partnership between the
National Federation of the Blind and the Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer
Research Foundation. Over the next several months, the teachers will engage
in virtual and in-person activities focused on topics including the tools
and techniques used by blind people in everyday life, the best strategies
for teaching Braille, and how to help blind students succeed in STEM
subjects. 

<https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/2024-2025-nfb-teachers-tomorrow-cohort>
Learn more about the Teachers of Tomorrow program and each of the teachers
in the cohort in our press room. 

Take Action This Month

*	Give to the  <https://nfb.org/contribute/give> Matching Gift
Challenge to Advance the Lives of Blind People
*	Sign up for the <https://nfb.org/BayBridge>  Bay Bridge Run
*	Participate in a  <https://nfb.org/programs-services/blind-month>
Blind Equality Achievement Month event in your community
*	Get ready to cast your ballot in November by
<https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/nations-blind-podcast>
listening to the Nation's Blind Podcast about voting and reading Justin &
Ryan's  <https://nfb.org/blog/getting-out-vote-oregon> blog post about
getting out the vote in Oregon.

Important Dates

We certainly are a busy organization. Don't miss these upcoming events,
workshops, and deadlines.

*	October 22, 2024:  <https://nfb.org/programs-services/employment>
Virtual Career Fair, 1:00-4:00 p.m. ET via Zoom
*	November 10, 2024:  <https://nfb.org/BayBridge> Bay Bridge Run,
Annapolis, MD
*	November 11-13, 2024:
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/employment/dare-be-remarkable> Dare to Be
Remarkable Conference, Baltimore, MD
*	February 3-6, 2025:
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar> Washington
Seminar, Washington, DC
*	March 22-24, 2025:  <https://nabslink.org/> Midwest Student
Leadership Seminar, Chicago, IL
*	July 8-13, 2025:  <https://nfb.org/convention> 2025 National
Convention, New Orleans, LA

Warmly,

Kristopher I. Crawley 

 <https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/> 

<https://education.acvrep.org/badges/badge.php?hash=18b8ae05639d02d02387d74e
47732a7cb8eeb657>
<https://www.freedomscientific.com/Training/Certification>
<https://www.zoomtext.com/learning/certification>
<https://certification.nvaccess.org/> 

Secretary

Assistive Technology Trainers Division

Communications Committee Chair

National Organization Of Blind Black Leaders

Email:  <mailto:KICrawley.NFB at Gmail.com> KICrawley.NFB at Gmail.com 

Phone/Text: (480) 788-9220

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