[NFBNJ] Week of May 17, 2021 President Riccobono's Notebook, NationalItems of Interest and Dates to Keep in Mind

Tue May 18 14:42:21 UTC 2021

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,

Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) week. A number of things
happening this week to promote accessibility. Thanks for doing your part at
the local level.

Some of our federal legislative efforts are starting to move. Continue to
be at the ready to activate on legislative alerts. Please continue to
encourage members to actively work on getting members of Congress signed
onto our legislative priorities. Let’s make 2021 a banner year for getting
things done to benefit the blind in Congress.
Critical Actions: Register for the 2021 NFB National Convention:

The 2021 National Federation of the Blind National Convention is July 6
through July 10. Registration is open and free. By registering, you will
get access to the latest information as it is made available, the
opportunity to win door prizes, and more! Register for the 2021 NFB
National Convention online now.
<https://www.nfb.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=432> Or, if someone
you know needs help with registration or would prefer to email or mail in a
registration, please use the 2021 National Convention Registration Form
(fillable PDF)
<https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/files-pdf/2021-national-convention-registration-form-fillable-web.pdf>
.
Double Your Dollars: NFB and Deque GAAD Gift Matching Campaign:

Thanks to the generous donations from Deque Systems and an anonymous donor,
there will be a gift-matching campaign during the week of Global
Accessibility Awareness Day. A gift-matching donation means that every
dollar you donate to the National Federation of the Blind will be matched
up to $25,000 during the week of May 16 through May 23. This will also be
part of our Give 20 campaign, so donations during the gift matching will
also be included in the Give 20 drawing to either win a trip to the 2022
National Convention OR take the cash prize of $2,000. Double your dollars:
learn more about the gift matching campaign
<https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/give-20-convention-drawing/double-your-dollars-gaad-gift-matching>
.
Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day:

May 20 is the tenth Global Accessibility Awareness Day, a day to emphasize
the importance of integrating accessibility into everything digital (web,
software, mobile, etc.). The National Federation of the Blind is
celebrating all week. Follow us on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/NationalFederationoftheBlind> and Twitter
<https://twitter.com/NFB_voice> to join the conversation. Share our
accessibility work
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/trainings>
.

Attend the Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access GAAD Presentation*:*

The presentation will be held on May 20 from 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. eastern
via Zoom. The National Federation of the Blind will be highlighting our
2020-2021 efforts to promote accessibility. Register now:
https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/cena-2021-gaad-presentation
*.*
News: Congratulations to the 2021 Scholarship Program Finalists!:

Each year the National Federation of the Blind is proud to honor blind
scholars, all of whom are raising expectations and expanding possibilities.
On May 12, we announced the 2021 scholarship finalists. The scholarship
program provides financial assistance and connects students with mentoring
and other resources. Meet the finalists and learn about their vocational
goals
<https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-announces-2021-scholarship-program-finalists>
.
Mark Your Calendars: Next Presidential Release on June 1—Captioning and
Spanish Available:

The next Presidential Release of the National Federation of the Blind will
be delivered on Tuesday, June 1, at 8:00 p.m. eastern. After the remarks
there is an opportunity for questions. Submit questions in advance to
cdanielsen at nfb.org and put PR506 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.
Upcoming: Open Call on Code of Conduct FAQs:

May 23 at 8:00-10:00 p.m. eastern via Zoom – The Survivors Task Force
invites Federationists and other members of the blind community to attend
open calls to review the Code of Conduct Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
and to collect feedback on the Code of Conduct itself. Aggregated concerns
collected during the Code of Conduct feedback sessions will help inform the
Code review, which is presently underway. The tentative agenda, 1CapApp,
Zoom participation information, and other Survivor Task Force branch
meeting dates are available for review at
https://nfb.org/programs-services/safety-support/safety-support-upcoming-events
May *Braille Monitor*—Access Now:

The latest issue of the National Federation of the Blind’s flagship
publication is now available. Articles include an update on our progress to
make the Federation a safe space in all of its activities; a discussion
about the history of Maryland as the affiliate prepares to host our 2021
National Convention; a discussion about integrating Federation activities
so they do not conflict with religious holidays; a feature highlighting
some of our black leaders; an article about chainsaws and missionary work;
a discussion about personal boundaries, how to establish them and see they
are respected; and a discussion about web accessibility and the way we deal
with the challenge of getting quality access when so many sites are being
created and comprise a vital part of our ability to participate in the
commerce of the nation. Read the May issue of the *Braille Monitor*
<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm21/bm2105/bm2105tc.htm>*.*
Submit an Article for the *Braille Monitor*—No Experience Needed:

The National Federation of the Blind is seeking articles for the *Braille
Monitor* that focus on your lived experiences. Share a blind moment or a
strategy that other blind people should know about. To learn more or submit
an article, connect with Gary Wunder, *Braille Monitor* editor, at
gwunder at nfb.org.
Amendment to the Endless Frontier Act from Senator John Thune:

Last week Senator John Thune of South Dakota introduced an amendment to the
Endless Frontier Act that contained two important provisions to ensure that
people with disabilities would be included in the design and utilization of
highly automated vehicles. The first would create an exemption
classification for manufacturers who “provide transportation access for
individuals with disabilities (as defined in section 3 of the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102)), including non-visual
access for individuals who are blind or visually impaired,” as long as the
vehicle was equivalently safe to a non-exempt vehicle. The second would
prohibit a state from issuing a “motor vehicle operator’s license for the
operation or use of a highly automated vehicle in a manner that
discriminates on the basis of disability.” Despite support from both
automobile manufacturers and disability advocates, Senator Thune
reluctantly withdrew his amendment on May 12 due to a lack of support from
other senators on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee over
safety and liability concerns. The Endless Frontier Act has been moved to
the Senate floor for debate this week, and we believe Senator Thune will
try to introduce his amendment for the full Senate to debate. Please
contact your senators and ask them to support this important amendment.
Recent Blog: “Thinking Fast for a Show: How I Conquered My Anxiety to
Perform on Stage”:

Being a performer is no cakewalk; read Precious Perez’s experience the
first time she organized a gig herself in our recent *Voice of the Nation’s
Blind Blog*
<https://nfb.org/blog/thinking-fast-show-how-i-conquered-my-anxiety-perform-stage>
.
App Development Seminar:

On Wednesday, June 9, the National Federation of the Blind, in
collaboration with Google, is hosting an app development seminar focused on
accessibility. Anyone who develops or is considering developing apps is
encouraged to register for this Zoom event. The registration page will be
live shortly, check www.nfb.org/cena for updates.
Reminders: Calling All Veterans:

Vernon Humphries, the president of the National Association of Blind
Veterans, is looking for all veterans to include in the convention’s
Celebration of Freedom. This year he is asking to receive a ten-second
audio recording of each veteran introducing themself and providing a short
glimpse of their service. He is requesting that you all spread the word and
to assist veterans who might have difficulty in creating an audio
recording. He would like to receive these at mr_president at nabv.org before
June 6.
Dates to Keep in Mind: (all times eastern)

   - May 20: Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)
   - June 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m.
   - June 9: App Development Seminar, www.nfb.org/cena
   - July 6-10: NFB National Convention, anywhere and everywhere
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