[NFBNJ] Week of April 19, 2021 President Riccobono's Notebook, National Items of Interest and Dates to Keep in Mind

Tue Apr 20 00:24:43 UTC 2021

Greetings all,

To stay connected with our National Office and with the work of our
organization I am sharing some of President Riccobono's weekly notebook
(sent to affiliate presidents), National Items of Interest and Dates to
Keep in Mind.

Warmly,
Linda Melendez, President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
732-421-7063
Email: president at nfbnj.org

Dear Federation Family,

Every day I hear more and more from Federation members who are eager to get
back together in person. I am optimistic that those days are coming. I do
want to caution our leaders to continue to take a measured and thoughtful
approach to in-person meetings or events. As we know, access to the vaccine
has been difficult for many segments of the blind community, and we do not
want to create divides or force people into uncomfortable situations by
rushing to in-person meetings or events. Trust me, I am ready to get back
together in person, but I recognize we are not there yet.

*Comments from President Melendez:*  Our 2021 National Federation of
the Blind of New Jersey State Convention will be held virtually. In
addition, we will not be holding any in-person affiliate, chapter or
division events until further notice.

I hope that you have already read
<https://nfb.org/blog/open-letter-safety-and-support-progress>my open
letter on safety and support
<https://nfb.org/blog/open-letter-safety-and-support-progress> that we
released on Thursday as part of the planned updates to my letter of
December 16 (
<https://nfb.org/blog/carta-abierta-sobre-los-avances-en-materia-de-seguridad-y-apoyo>also
available in Spanish
<https://nfb.org/blog/carta-abierta-sobre-los-avances-en-materia-de-seguridad-y-apoyo>).
This letter will also be in the May issue of the *Braille Monitor*. I
invite you to make sure all of our members have read it, and I encourage
you to invite people to continue to contribute to the work of our task
force.

As the Federation marches forward, it is always good to pause and celebrate
where we have been. A note of congratulations to the National Federation of
the Blind of Washington, which celebrated its fortieth anniversary days
ago. I had the opportunity to join a Zoom celebration this weekend. I did
not know previously that the expansion of our Washington affiliate in April
1981 was the first time Hazel tenBroek had taken on an elected position in
the Federation. Last week we had a visit to our building from her son,
Dutch tenBroek, whom many of you have heard speak. Both Dutch's visit and
the new learning about the depth of Hazel's roles in our movement remind me
how true the term “Federation Family” is, and how meaningful the
generations of family involvement are to the strength and stability of our
movement. It is also a good reminder of how critical it is to archive the
history of our affiliates at our tenBroek Library for use by future
generations. Thanks to our Washington affiliate for continuing to
contribute significantly to our national work.
News: Attend the Next Presidential Release on May 3—Captioning and Spanish
Available:

The next Presidential Release of the National Federation of the Blind will
be delivered on Monday, May 3, at 8:00 p.m. eastern. After the remarks
there is an opportunity for questions. Submit questions in advance to
<cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org and put PR505 in the subject line,
or call 410-659-9314, extension 2473. Closed captions and Spanish
interpretation will be available. Mark your calendars! Zoom details will be
available soon. You can also access the live stream on your favorite Amazon
device by asking Alexa to play Nation’s Blind.

S. 1 and Accessible Voting:

Monday of last week (April 12) we sent out a legislative alert regarding
some of our concerns with S. 1, the For the People Act. These concerns are
in the areas of accessible in-person voting and accessible vote-by-mail.
Specifically, we are asking that Congress make two amendments to the
legislation: the first would require that at least two accessible
ballot-marking devices are in each polling place and are actively and
specifically offered to voters with and without disabilities; the second
would ensure that states maintain the requirements for accessible voting
mandated in the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Help America Vote
Act. I also wrote an
<https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/548596-changing-the-world-one-ballot-at-a-time>op-ed
on this topic that was published in *The Hill*
<https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/548596-changing-the-world-one-ballot-at-a-time>
on
Friday, April 16. I encourage you to read it.
Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award—Deadline May 1:

Every year, the National Federation of the Blind Distinguished Educator of
Blind Students Award recognizes an outstanding teacher of blind students.
The education of blind children is one of our highest priorities. Please
help us recognize dedicated and innovative teachers who provide quality
education and meaningful experiences and opportunities for their blind
students. Learn more about Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/distinguished-educator-blind-students-award?q=programs-services%2Fscholarships-and-awards%2Fdistinguished-educator-blind-students-award>
and nominate an individual by May 1.
Latest Blog Posts: Read about Audio Descriptions and Fundraising:

The Voice of the Nation's Blind Blog highlights personal experiences and
stories of blind people. Read and share one of the recent articles below:

·    "’Pork Chops Taste Good, Bacon Tastes Good!’ Why I Am an Advocate for
Audio Description
<https://nfb.org/blog/pork-chops-taste-good-bacon-tastes-good-why-i-am-advocate-audio-description>”
by Everette Bacon
Nation’s Blind Podcast Episode on Diversity and Inclusion:

The *Nation's Blind Podcast* highlights different themes related to
blindness, independent living, and news from the National Federation of the
Blind. Hosts Anil and Melissa talk with Colin Wong, who co-chairs the
Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Federation. Access
<https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2021-04/nations_blind_podcast_diversity_equity_and_inclusion_01.mp3>April
14, 2021 – Diversity and Inclusion in the National Federation of the Blind
<https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2021-04/nations_blind_podcast_diversity_equity_and_inclusion_01.mp3>
or
subscribe and listen by searching for *Nation's Blind Podcast* in your
podcast client.
Give $20 Convention Drawing:

Each year, thousands of Federation members and friends make donations to
fund our great programs. Your continued support is needed. When you
participate in the
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20749&qid=5147870>Give $20 campaign
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20749&qid=5147870> you will be
entered into the Give $20 convention drawing (formerly known as the Kenneth
Jernigan convention drawing) AND help our work to change lives for blind
people across the country.

How to Contribute and Qualify:

*Please note: The drawing is for individuals and is not intended for
contributions by divisions, state affiliates, or chapters.*

You must specify a fund in order to be entered into the drawing. You can do
this by using our
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=45>Give $20
online donation form
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=45> or writing
in the memo if giving by check. Choose one of the following funds: Kenneth
Jernigan Fund, SUN Fund, White Cane Fund, or the tenBroek Fund.

Your donation will be counted for the drawing regardless of which fund you
designate.

   - Donate online now
   <https://nfb.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=45>
   - Donate via phone by calling our donation line at 410-659-9314,
   extension 2282.
   - Send a check to Attention: Give20, National Federation of the Blind
   Jernigan Institute, 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. Be sure to
   have "Give 20" and the fund you are donating to in the memo.

Thank you for your support!
Dates to Keep in Mind: (all times eastern)

   -  May 1: Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award
   <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/distinguished-educator-blind-students-award>
nominations
   deadline
   - May 3: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - May 7: NFB BELL® Academy application
   <https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-bell-academy> deadline (for
   session one)
   - May 10:  <http://www.nfb.org/eq>NFB EQ application
   <http://www.nfb.org/eq> deadline
   - June 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - July 6-10: NFB National Convention, anywhere and everywhere
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnj_nfbnet.org/attachments/20210419/25957eb1/attachment.html>