[NFBNJ] NFB President’s Notebook - week of 11/18/2019

Mon Nov 18 21:45:39 UTC 2019

    Greetings to all!
I have pasted information with hopes to benefit our membership and the 
Federation family.
Warmly,
Joe

**
From: President, National Federation of the Blind
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2019 4:23 PM
To: President, National Federation of the Blind
Subject: NFB President???s Notebook - week of 11/18/2019
President???s Notebook
National Federation of the Blind
Mark A. Riccobono
officeofthepresident at nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>
410-659-9314

Dear Fellow Federationists,

Happy seventy-ninth anniversary to us! Another November 16 has come and 
gone, causing us to pause and reflect upon all that we have accomplished as 
a movement since that date in 1940. I was pleased to share the day with 
Federation members. I know our eightieth year will be marked with many 
important milestones, and I know we will think up some new things to pursue 
along the way.

I want to take this opportunity to wish each of you a very happy 
Thanksgiving. I anticipate that there may not be any urgent news next 
Monday, leaving this as our final notebook before the holiday. I am deeply 
grateful for the service, leadership, and friendship of each of you. It 
makes a tremendous difference in the lives of so many people. It is also a 
true blessing for my family to have the opportunity to know you and enjoy 
time with you. We appreciate how many of you who have asked for updates on 
Oriana. Thank you for being who you are and doing what you do. We recognize 
that your best contributions will go uncelebrated because you do them out of 
love and dedication, not to seek award or acknowledgement. Thank you for all 
of those unknown kindnesses that may go unrecognized but are deeply 
impactful and gratefully appreciated by those of us working in the spirit of 
the Federation family.

News:
Celebrating Seventy-Nine Years:
Saturday was the seventy-ninth anniversary of the founding of the National 
Federation of the Blind. Since 1940, we have worked collectively in a 
unified national organization, improving the lives of blind people 
throughout the country, and in some cases, the world. Along with high 
expectations and strong values, our structure continues to empower members 
of the National Federation of the Blind to live the lives we want. Consider 
sharing the history of the organized blind 
movement<https://www.nfb.org/about-us/history-and-governance?fbclid=IwAR1R0E8vvGqkFao45ZMxiQDEf6mgHifKJ2ABQ2OrA01ghYujvK9qHSo59Uk> 
and invite members to read Building the Lives We 
Want<https://www.nfb.org/about-us/history-and-governance/building-lives-we-want>.
Send Comments for Elimination of 14(c):
On Friday, November 15, 2019 at 9:00 a.m., the United States Commission on 
Civil Rights held a public briefing on the elimination of Section 14(c) of 
the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows subminimum wages for people with 
disabilities. The commission plans to issue a report with actionable 
recommendations to address this critical civil rights issue. Review the 
testimony from many panelists<https://www.youtube.com/user/USCCR>, which 
included Anil Lewis, Kimie Eacobacci, John Pare, Melissa Riccobono, and 
Derek Manners Panelists also included those who are still in favor of 14(c). 
Although it seems like the tides are turning, more voices need to be heard 
to end these discriminatory practices. Submit comments to 
subminimumwages at usccr.gov<mailto:subminimumwages at usccr.gov> for the 
commission???s consideration no later than December 15, 2019.
Open-House-Gathering Call this Wednesday:
The National Federation of the Blind???s next open-house-gathering call for 
people interested in membership will be this Wednesday, November 20, at 8:00 
p.m. eastern. This is a great opportunity to learn about joining and its 
benefits. The calls cover membership, philosophy, and purpose. Sign up by 
emailing membership at nfb.org<mailto:membership at nfb.org> or calling 
410-659-9314, extension 2509.
Apple TV+ Releases New Blindness Show, See:
A fantasy world in which everyone is blind, and also strong, capable, and 
dynamic. This new show, See, on Apple TV+ could set forth a new way that the 
entertainment industry portrays blindness. Additionally, there are five 
blind actors cast in roles, although not in leading roles. This seems like 
progress. Per our 2019 resolution on authentic representation of blind 
people in the entertainment 
industry<https://www.nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2019-resolutions#14>, 
more progress for the growth and inclusion of blind people in the 
entertainment industry is needed. Read the recent blog post regarding the 
show<https://www.nfb.org/blog/treading-carefully-new-blindness-drama-see> 
and share your thoughts on the show.
Disney+:
Last week the Disney+ service was launched. A number of blind grandparents 
and parents reported accessibility challenges with the website. We have 
raised this with Disney, and they are working with our team to resolve 
barriers. We will send additional news as we have it.
Dates to Keep in Mind:

  *   January 4, 2020: World Braille Day
  *   January 9-11, 2020: BELL?? Academy Training Seminar
  *   February 10, 2020: Great Gathering-In; Washington Seminar begins
  *   March 26-27, 2020: Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium, Baltimore, Maryland
  *   April 14-17, 2020: NABM BLAST<http://www.blindmerchants.org>; Chicago, 
Illinois
  *   July 14-19, 2020: NFB National Convention, Houston, Texas

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<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>

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

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The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends 
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation???s blind. Every day we work 
together to help blind people live the lives they want.

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