[NFBNJ] President Riccobono's notebook Items Of Interest Week Of October 12 2020

[joe ruffalo]

Greetings to all!
I have pasted several items of interest from President Riccobono’s Notebook 
for the week of October 12,2020.

Critical Actions:
Washington Seminar Logistics:
Every year the National Federation of the Blind conducts a concentrated and 
focused set of meetings to educate members of Congress about issues 
affecting blind Americans. This event is referred to as the Washington 
Seminar. This year’s Washington Seminar will be virtual. The Great 
Gathering-In will still be Monday, February 8, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. 
eastern. We urge affiliates to schedule their Congressional meetings either 
Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, February 9, 10, or 11.

We will be announcing our issues sometime during the month of December and 
will be distributing our fact sheets in early January. We will also be 
conducting extensive training during that month.

It’s too early to begin scheduling your Congressional meetings—most offices 
will not want to begin scheduling meetings for 2021 until January, but 
affiliates should begin thinking about how they can maximize constituent 
participation, especially in House meetings.

If you have members who are uncertain who their representative is, they can 
look it up at 
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative.

In the meantime, we still want to build cosponsor support for each of our 
seven bills. Doing so will help us when we restart in 2021 or may even help 
get them passed during one of the few remaining times Congress will be in 
session this year, so watch for upcoming legislative alerts.Comments: Keep 
your eye on your inbox for updates.

Ryan Stevens, NFBNJ Legislative Director will provide updates as he receives 
them.

Prior to the Washington Seminar, probably in early January, the committee 
will plan to involve members in the process.  Stay tuned!




News:
Meet the Blind Month Twitter Chats:
Join us each Wednesday during Meet the Blind Month on Twitter to discuss our 
lived experiences with various intersectional identities—which are also 
subject to inequalities, public misconceptions, and injustices. This 
Wednesday, October 14, at 2:00 p.m. eastern, our Twitter chat will be a 
discussion of lived experiences with blindness, race, and ethnicity. 
Participate and follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #MeetTheBlind. 
Questions for the chat will be posted soon on our Twitter chat page.

Comments: For your information and involvement.



CENA Wayfinding Survey:

The National Federation of the Blind Center of Excellence in Nonvisual 
Accessibility is conducting a survey of wayfinding technology. This survey 
seeks to gather information from developers of wayfinding products and 
services about their offerings and the level of nonvisual accessibility they 
have. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JSR6SQ8

Comments: Let your voices be heard!



Jeopardy! Online Test Now Accessible:
As a result of negotiations between the National Federation of the Blind, 
the show producers, and a blind man attempting to be a contestant, the 
entrance test for Jeopardy! is now accessible. The prospective contestant 
was unable to successfully take the online test because it was not 
accessible, but now it will be fully accessible with screen-reader 
technology.

Comments: Many have been waiting for this opportunity!

Give it a try.





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 (Virtual)


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
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