[NFBNJ] President Riccobono's Notebook, National Items of Interest and Dates to Keep in Mind for week of September 20, 2021

Tue Sep 21 09:28:21 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,

It feels like we are moving quickly toward the fourth quarter of the year.
Affiliate conventions are ramping up and this always brings new excitement
and new ideas to the movement. I want to call out the #BlindMonth
minute-message video appeal below. Let’s use this October to bring strong
attention to us in social media and get our stories shared more widely than
ever before.

Remember history. Advance equality. Celebrate accomplishments. Previously
known as Meet the Blind Month, the National Federation of the Blind
celebrates the organized blind movement during October. Chapters across the
country organize local outreach events. Submit your events, activities,
celebrations to web at nfb.org, so they can be posted on nfb.org/blind-month.
If you still need items or ideas, check out the free literature and White
Cane Awareness Day Proclamation
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/view?id=2378&reset=1>.
Critical Actions:
New Time for Next Presidential Release Is at Noon:

The October Presidential Release of the National Federation of the Blind
will be Friday, October 1, at 12:00 p.m. (noon), eastern. It’ll kick off
Blind Equality Achievement Month! There will be an opportunity for
questions after President Riccobono’s remarks. What employment questions do
you have? Submit questions in advance to cdanielsen at nfb.org and put PR509
in the subject line, or call 410-659-9314, extension 2473. Closed captions
and Spanish interpretation will be available. Zoom details coming soon.
News:
Blind Equality Achievement Month: Send in Your Events:

Remember history. Advance equality. Celebrate accomplishments. Previously
known as Meet the Blind Month, the National Federation of the Blind
celebrates the organized blind movement during October. Chapters across the
country organize local outreach events. Submit your events, activities,
celebrations to web at nfb.org, so they can be posted on nfb.org/blind-month.
Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium:

Join nationally renowned disability rights advocates at the 2022 Jacobus
tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, the United States’ leading disability
law symposium. The symposium will take place at the Jernigan Institute on
March 24–March 25, 2022, as we examine the right of people with
disabilities to live in a world of pandemics, political polarization, and
natural disasters. Please visit the
law symposium webpage
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/jacobus-tenbroek-disability-law-symposium>*
for
additional information as it becomes available*.
Total Permanent Disability (TPD) Student Loan Discharge Program:

On August 19, 2021, the US Department of Education announced new rules to
simplify and facilitate student loan discharge due to disability. We have
prepared an FAQ document
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/advocacy-resources/general-summary-and-faqs-total-permanent-disability>
that
contains the answers to many of the questions we have received.
Access Technology Affordability Act:

The provisions of the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) have been
included in the reconciliation package currently moving through the House.
This is fantastic news. It is critical that we continue to build cosponsor
support for the ATAA in the Senate (S. 212) in order to ensure that we have
the greatest chance of keeping these provisions in the final reconciliation
package. We will be issuing a legislative alert with more details in the
very near future.
Labcorp Kiosk:

The National Federation of the Blind is investigating access barriers with
Labcorp patient check-in kiosks. If you have visited a Labcorp location
within the last year and were directed to use an inaccessible kiosk for
check-in, and if there was no Labcorp employee available to immediately
assist you with check-in, or if you otherwise had to rely on another
customer to assist you, please contact Valerie Yingling at vyingling at nfb.org to
share your experience.
Spanish Interest Form for Braille Books:

Our partners at the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
provide free Braille books to thousands of blind children each year and are
seeking interested participants for Braille books in Spanish. If you know
someone who could benefit from Spanish Braille books, please share this
Spanish Braille Interest form for them to fill out.
<https://www.actionfund.org/form/en-espanol-formulario-de-interes>
August/September *Braille Monitor *Available:

The latest issue of the National Federation of the Blind flagship
publication is now available. Read about the 2021 Convention roundup,
stories from members, raising expectations, and more. Access the *Braille
Monitor* now
<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm21/bm2108/bm2108tc.htm>.
Career Opportunities at the National Federation of the Blind:

The National Federation of the Blind is seeking flexible, hard-working
individuals who will work with us to ensure independence and equality for
all blind Americans. Currently we have several opportunities to include
Braille proofing and production specialist, Independence Market program
assistant, operations specialist for NFB-NEWSLINE®, digital communications
coordinator, and executive assistant for the Operations department. Learn
more about our career opportunities
<https://nfb.org/about-us/career-opportunities>.
Upcoming Event to Learn about Manual Accessibility Testing with NVDA:

Tuesday, September 28, 2:00–3:30 p.m., eastern, via Zoom: The National
Federation of the Blind is hosting a webinar on getting started with manual
accessibility testing using the NVDA screen reader. We will cover
recommended settings, useful keystrokes, and strategies for effectively
testing webpages. Register for the accessibility boutique
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/trainings/accessibility-boutiques/accessibility-boutique-registration>
today!
Independence Market – Highlighted Products of the Month for September:

Pocket-size Talking Calculator - $15.00
White plastic calculator with a female voice that can perform basic math
operations and percentage calculations. It has an eight-digit output and
requires two AAA batteries, which are included.

Square Sock Lock - $2.50
Package of twenty, square, plastic sock locks that measure 1.5 inches on
each side.

Round and Assorted Sock Locks - $3.25
Package of sixteen single, and four double, round plastic sock locks.

Sale and Close-out Items (Supplies Limited):
Shut-the-Box Game - $10.00
Tactile Low-Vision Timer - $12.00
Dates to Keep in Mind: (all times eastern)

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

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

·  December 2: Presidential Release, 8:00 p.m.
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