[NFBNJ] Week of January 11 President Riccobono's Notebook and National Items of Interest

Linda Melendez president at nfbnj.org
Wed Jan 13 18:57:17 UTC 2021 

Greetings all,


To stay connected with our National Office and 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.

Please read and save for future reference.


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

****

President’s Notebook
Week of January 11, 2021
National Federation of the Blind
Mark A. Riccobono



Dear Fellow Federationists,


This time of year, in the weeks leading up to our Washington Seminar, the
District of Columbia is always on our minds. For many years, we have
visited the House and Senate to further our legislative goals. Though we
will gather on the Hill virtually next month, we are holding Congress,
first responders and others who walk the halls of the Capitol close in our
hearts and minds after last week’s attack. It is unfortunate that we will
not have the opportunity to walk the halls of Congress this year to bring
the positive spirit of the Federation to those quarters. However, we will
have the opportunity to visit with the offices of every member of Congress
virtually.


In those meetings we will bring the spirit of a common purpose and working
together. Our issues are not of one party or another; they do not reflect
the priorities of an incoming or outgoing administration. They are issues
for every elected official to support. They are driven by a diverse set of
blind people from around the country. They are issues that seek to make
America a country where we achieve the ideals set forth in our democracy.
Together, through our 2021 Washington Seminar, we will contribute to
bringing the nation together, moving forward, and raising expectations.


We want to highlight an update on our efforts to make the Federation a safe
and healthy place for all.



·       Follow your state and local legal requirements concerning mandatory
reporting, if the victim or survivor is interested in this path to healing.

 ·       To report a sexual misconduct issue, follow the procedures
outlined in NFB’s code of conduct at
https://www.nfb.org/about-us/history-and-governance/code-conduct, or
contact code at nfb.org or 410-659-9314, extension 2475.

 ·       To get information about NFB’s Survivor Task Force, contact
survivors at nfb.org or 410-659-9314, extension 2238.

 ·       To access professional support and resources, contact RAINN.
The National
Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline
<https://www.rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-telephone-hotline> is
at 800-656-HOPE (4673). Callers will be contacted by a trained staff member
from a service provider in their area.

 Below are the links to the NFB’s statements:

·       Partnership with RAINN
<https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-announces-partnership-rainn>

·       Introducing Our Survivor Task Force
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/safety-support-marchingtogether>



FAQs

Q:     How long has this been going on? What did you know and when? Were
there any incidents at your office/center/facility?

 A:     Out of respect for survivors, we are not commenting on any specific
incidents. The National Federation of the Blind announced a partnership
with RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN
will assist us in furthering a safe, inclusive, and welcoming culture free
of sexual misconduct as part of all NFB programs and activities. We are
committed to a safe, healthy environment.


Q:     What exactly will RAINN be doing?

A:     We are entering a committed long-term partnership with RAINN to
ensure a safe and healthy environment.


Q:     What is the role of the Survivor Task Force?

 A:     The Survivor Task Force will serve as an advisor during this
process to ensure we build a safe, healthy environment. More details can be
found in the Introducing Our Survivor Task Force section to nfb.org/survivor.
The Task Force will provide monthly updates on our efforts.


*Critical Actions:*
Washington Seminar Fact SheetsThe fact sheets for this year’s Washington
Seminar issues (
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar/washington-seminar-agenda/fact-sheet-access>Access
Technology Affordability Act
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar/washington-seminar-agenda/fact-sheet-access>,
Medical Devices Nonvisual Accessibility Act
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar/washington-seminar-agenda/fact-sheet-medical-device>,
 Accessible Websites Act
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar/washington-seminar-agenda/fact-sheet-accessible-websites-act>,
Accessible Voting Act
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar/washington-seminar-agenda/fact-sheet-accessible>)
are now posted to our website. Please note that we have made an adjustment
in the 2021 Washington Seminar training schedule.NewsNFB-NEWSLINE®—Breaking
News Sources Available:NFB-NEWSLINE is a free audio news service for anyone
who is blind, low-vision, deafblind, or otherwise print-disabled that
offers access to more than five hundred publications, emergency weather
alerts, job listings, and more. There are more than forty breaking news
sources. Stay informed of the current events happening in our country.
Learn more about nfbnewsline.org
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-newsline>. New Partnership with
Getty Images and Tactile Images—Take the Quick Poll:

Getty Images, a world leader in visual communications, and the National
Federation of the Blind, America’s civil rights and membership organization
of the blind, have partnered with Tactile Images to deliver more than
twenty-five million images to the world's blind population at museums,
science centers, libraries, schools, and government agencies. Read the new
partnership press release
<https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/getty-images-partners-national-federation-blind-and-tactile-images-deliver-25>.
As a start to this initiative, please share and complete the three-question
poll: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tactileimages.
Scholarship Program–Submit Application Today:

Share this opportunity that invests in the future of blind people. Every
year, the National Federation of the Blind awards more than $120,000 to
blind scholars across the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and
Puerto Rico in recognition of their achievements and professional
aspirations. The application process is open and we encourage students to
start the process early. Review the
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program/scholarship-program-application-checklist>scholarship
application checklist
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program/scholarship-program-application-checklist>
and
the
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program/scholarship-program-faqs>scholarship
program FAQs
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program/scholarship-program-faqs>.
Learn about the eligibility criteria and requirements of the 2021
scholarship program
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program>
and start the application process now. The deadline to submit is March 31,
2021.
*Walking Alone and Marching Together* has been added to NFB-NEWSLINE:

You can now access this book detailing the history of the organized blind
movement from 1940 to 1990 on NFB-NEWSLINE. If you are using the telephone
access method, off the main menu, press 1 followed by 1 for the NFB
National Channel, then follow the prompts to read the book. For those using
the NFB-NEWSLINE Mobile app for iOS, select “All Publications” from the
“Information Sources” page and search for *Walking Alone and Marching
Together *to read the book.
Filing a Complaint with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil
Rights:

The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently
released a short video,  <https://youtu.be/dvxa5dYNKK8>*How to File a
Complaint* <https://youtu.be/dvxa5dYNKK8> <https://youtu.be/dvxa5dYNKK8>*, *as
a resource for anyone seeking to file a discrimination complaint with OCR.
Please share this link with students, parents, and other stakeholders in
your network.


*National Dates to Keep in Mind:**(all times eastern)*

   - January 18: Braille Readers Are Leaders
   <https://actionfund.org/programs/braille-readers-are-leaders>
   registration (and page count) deadline
   - January 28: Smart Cities Summit
   <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/trainings/smart-cities-summit>,
   12:00-8:00 p.m.
   - February 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - February 8: Washington Seminar
   <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar>
   Great Gathering-In
   - March 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - March 24-26: Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium
   - March 31: Scholarship application
   <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program/scholarship-program-application-checklist>
   deadline
   - April 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - April 15: Bolotin Awards <https://www.nfb.org/bolotin> nominations
   deadline
   - May 2: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - June 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - July 6-11: NFB National Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana



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.
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