[NFBNJ] NFB President’s Notebook - Week of 10/05/2020

[joe ruffalo]

Greetings to all!
It’s Monday and I have pasted items of interest from the President’s 
notebook.

Best,
Joe

We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference
Joe Ruffalo, President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
973 743 0075
nfbnj1 at verizon.net
www.nfbnj.org

From: President, National Federation of the Blind
Sent: Monday, October 05, 2020 4:05 PM
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - Week of 10/05/2020

President’s Notebook
National Federation of the Blind
Mark A. Riccobono
officeofthepresident at nfb.org
410-659-9314


Dear Fellow Federationists,

Happy Meet the Blind Month! The crisp air of October has arrived. The 
Federation is buzzing with Meet the Blind Month conversations, and we are 
hard at work in local communities helping to provide access to voting for 
blind people. When I was walking around the local farmers market on 
Saturday, I started thinking about the upcoming holiday season and how long 
it has been since I have sat with many of my Federation friends. I am 
anticipating dropping into a number of conventions during the next month in 
order to get that shot in the arm I need. Meanwhile, I continue to be 
grateful, as we enter the season of giving, for all that you give to our 
movement every day.

Just a quick reminder that we will have a call for all affiliate presidents 
on Sunday evening at 8:00 p.m. eastern. Please plan to be there in order to 
provide some feedback on future plans of our movement.



Critical Actions:

Urgent Community Forum for Parents of Blind Children:
The National Federation of the Blind and the National Organization of 
Parents of Blind Children will be holding community forums to discuss access 
to remote education for blind students. The events will be held Tuesday, 
October 6, at 3:00 p.m. eastern and Thursday, October 8, at 8:00 p.m. 
eastern. Please encourage parents of blind children in grades K-12 to 
attend. More information can be found at 
https://www.nfb.org/our-community/parents-blind-children.



News:

October Presidential Release Available:
The October Presidential Release is available in both audio and text. The 
Spanish translation will be posted soon.


Prepare to Share a Blind Voter Survey:
The National Federation of the Blind blind voter survey will be out this 
week for all blind voters to complete regardless of a good or bad voting 
experience. Whether voting early, by mail, at the polling place, or on 
Election Day, please complete the survey.  It helps us in our advocacy 
efforts to continue to move closer to full equal access to a secret, 
verifiable ballot for every single blind person in this country. The blind 
voter survey will be available on our voting resource page at nfb.org/vote.


Transformation to Competitive Employment Act:
We recently sent a letter regarding the Transformation to Competitive 
Employment Act (H.R. 873/S. 260) to the leaders of the House and the Senate. 
This letter was in response to the recent report published by the United 
States Commission on Civil Rights in which it recommends that subminimum 
wages for people with disabilities should be phased out. Our letter pointed 
out that this recommendation is not new among government agencies and 
referenced multiple reports over the past decade that made the same 
recommendation. A copy of our letter was also sent to every member of 
Congress.

Last week H.R. 8478 was introduced in the House. This is another “notice and 
cure” bill that weakens the foundations of the ADA, and we strongly oppose 
it. Please call your members of Congress and let them know that they should 
vote against this dangerous and harmful legislation.


Meet the Blind Month—Weekly Twitter Chats:
The National Federation of the Blind is hosting a weekly Twitter chat during 
the month of October each Wednesday from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. On October 7 
let’s discuss our lived experiences with blindness and additional 
disabilities to include deafblindness, autism, mental illness, learning 
disabilities, and physical disabilities. Each week’s questions will be 
posted on our website for review. Learn more about the Twitter chats and 
mark your calendars.


Matching Gift Opportunity from Freedom Scientific:
Freedom Scientific, a Vispero brand and the maker of JAWS for Windows and 
Focus Braille displays, has pledged to match the first $50,000 in donations 
made to the National Federation of the Blind during Meet the Blind Month. 
Double your contribution and help ensure that we fulfill this matching gift. 
Thank you to Freedom Scientific and all of our supporters for helping us 
continue our important work. Share the announcement and encourage donations 
today!


Career Opportunities at the National Office:
The National Federation of the Blind is seeking flexible, hard-working 
individuals who will work with us to ensure independence and equality for 
all blind Americans. Currently we have several opportunities to include: 
Braille Proofing and Production Specialist, Director of Services, Membership 
Building Coordinator, Social Media Coordinator, and Talent Development 
Coordinator. Learn more about our career opportunities.


October Braille Monitor Available:
Check out the latest issue of the Braille Monitor, the National Federation 
of the Blind’s flagship publication. There are a number of articles this 
month about issues related to Meet the Blind Month, as well as a 
presentation from the 2020 NFB National Convention and an article of Ryan 
Boudwin’s lived experience in politics as a blind person. Read Ryan’s 
article in the October 2020 Braille Monitor.



Reminders:

PAC Plan:

Anyone can enroll in PAC or make changes to monthly contributions during 
state convention and throughout the year. PAC contributors or potential 
contributors can complete the webform at http://www.NFB.org/PAC to enroll or 
make changes throughout the year to their PAC contributions. On the webform, 
existing donors can indicate if they want to increase the contribution, the 
amount, and give their contact information. New donors are asked to complete 
the form, indicate their monthly contribution, the state to be credited, and 
their contact information. Our PAC team will follow-up with new donors for 
their bank account or credit card details. Anyone who needs to stop their 
PAC contribution or who has questions can also email PAC at NFB.org or call us 
at 410-659-9314, extension 2622, or 1-877-632-272 (NFB-2PAC).



Dates to Keep in Mind:
  a.. October: Meet the Blind Month
  b.. November 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
  c.. December 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
  d.. December 9: Open-House Gathering call, 8:00 p.m. eastern
  e.. February 8, 2021: Washington Seminar Great Gathering-In


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













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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