[NFBNJ] Week of August 30, 2021 President Riccobono's Notebook, National Items of Interest and Dates to Keep in Mind

[Linda Melendez]

Greetings all,


To help stay connected with our National Office and with the work of our
organization I am sharing some of President Riccobono's weekly notebook,
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
President’s Notebook
National Federation of the Blind
Mark A. Riccobono
410-659-9314
officeofthepresident at nfb.org



Dear Federation Family,


As we come to the symbolic end of summer, it is exciting to think about the
Federation activities planned for the coming months. One thing I am doing
to make our work more effective this fall is to continue to fine-tune the
Presidential Release. The live event has come to be very helpful to the
movement, but many of you have asked that we continue to have something for
each chapter to play and I agree with the importance of that priority.
Beginning with September, we are going to try to compact the recorded
version of the Presidential Release to be a little more focused for local
chapter meetings. The goal is to encourage participation in the live event
while still bringing important and consistent messaging to every local
chapter. This will be a good time for affiliate leaders to reinforce the
importance of the release in keeping our movement connected at all levels.


Please keep our members and their friends and families who are in the path
of Ida in your thoughts and prayers. If we learn that there are needs among
blind people, we will definitely let the Federation family know.
Critical Actions:This Week: Attend the September Presidential Release
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=464>—Captioning and Spanish
Available:

The next Presidential Release of the National Federation of the Blind will
be Wednesday, September 1, at 8:00 p.m., eastern. There will be an
opportunity for questions after President Riccobono’s remarks. Submit
questions in advance to cdanielsen at nfb.org and put PR508 in the subject
line or call 410-659-9314, extension 2473. Closed captions and Spanish
interpretation will be available. Join via Zoom:
https://zoom.us/j/94690762213 or one-tap mobile: +13017158592,,94690762213#
News:Federation Opportunity: Be on a Committee:

Committees
<https://nfb.org/about-us/divisions-committees-and-groups/committees> of
the National Federation of the Blind are appointed by the President, with
the exception of the nominating committee, and serve to advise the
organization’s national leadership on important matters and to carry out
projects to build the organization at all levels. Complete the Committee
Interest Form
<https://nfb.org/about-us/divisions-committees-and-groups/committee-interest-form>
to be considered for a role. Please note: members are able to contribute to
the organization’s work regardless of service on a committee.
Recent Voice of the Nation’s Blind Blog Posts:

The *Voice of the Nation's Blind Blog *features stories from our members,
news, and commentary on issues affecting our community. If you would like
to submit a blog entry, please send an email to dmccann at nfb.org. Share the
most recent blog posts:

·       “A Positive Step Forward: Update on the Issues I Had while Trying
to Participate in a Vaccine Trial
<https://nfb.org/blog/positive-step-forward-update-issues-i-had-while-trying-participate-vaccine-trial>*”
*by Chris Sabine

·       “STEM Education Can Be Accessible—And Fun!
<https://nfb.org/blog/stem-education-can-be-accessible-and-fun>*” *by
Madeline Mau

·       “I Didn’t Know You Were Out There: Finding Connections through the
Stories We Share
<https://nfb.org/blog/i-didnt-know-you-were-out-there-finding-connections-through-stories-we-share>*”
*by Danielle McCann
Recent Letter to President Biden Regarding Interagency Coordinating Council
on Blindness:

Throughout recent American history, a myriad of programs and supports have
been put into place by the federal government that promote greater
productivity and self-sufficiency for the nation’s blind. Yet, various
related initiatives remain uncoordinated. Read our recent letter to
President Biden regarding the establishment of an Interagency Coordinating
Council on Blindness.
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/letter-president-biden-regarding-establishment>
The Macy Act: Objections and Proposed Changes:

The Alice Cogswell Anne Sullivan Macy Act (H.R. 1959/ S. 813 in the 117th
Congress) seeks to improve K-12 education for blind students, but it
focuses on the wrong areas. Learn more about the Macy Act and how it should
be amended
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/macy-act-objections-proposed-changes>
.
Upcoming Event: Learn about Chromebook Accessibility:

If you’re a student, parent, or teacher you’ve likely used a Chromebook
recently. They’re also becoming more frequently used in employment
settings, especially now that many of them can run Android apps. The
Chromebooks have a variety of accessibility options. However, Chromebooks
do have some accessibility differences that can make it more difficult to
learn for screen-reader users. Come join the National Federation of the
Blind Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access on Tuesday, September 7,
from 2:00-3:30 p.m., eastern, via Zoom to learn what the Chromebook can do
and how to access its many features with a screen reader. Take advantage of
this free opportunity and register today:
https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/trainings/accessibility-boutiques/accessibility-boutique-registration
Dates to Keep in Mind:  (all times eastern)

·       September 1: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.

·       October 1: Presidential Release, 12:00 p.m.

·       November 1: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.

·       December 2: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnj_nfbnet.org/attachments/20210830/c7743e79/attachment.html>