[NFBNJ] August4, 2022 President Riccobono's Noteboo

[Linda Melendez]

*President’s Notebook*


* National Federation of the Blind Mark A. Riccobono*

*officeofthepresident at nfb.org <officeofthepresident at nfb.org>*
*410-659-9314*


 Dear Federation Family,


 As back-to-school time hits more of the country, the level of activity
around the Federation is also picking up. This week I am traveling to visit
Comcast in their accessibility lab, hosting APH and Human Ware to discuss
our joint project with the Dynamic Tactile Device (DTD) and traveling to
South Carolina for the first fall convention. In the midst of all that, we
have a lot of other projects going on. I know you all feel the same way,
especially based on the number of fall convention representatives I have
been assigning over the past couple of weeks.


Keep up the great work and best wishes for those dealing with the
back-to-school activities.
News:
Next Week—the September Presidential Release:

The next Presidential Release
<https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases> of
the National Federation of the Blind is scheduled for September 1, 2022, at
8:00 p.m., eastern time. The Zoom Meeting ID is 968 9179 1419 or use the
following link: https://zoom.us/j/96891791419
NFB.org Website Maintenance this Weekend:

Reminder that nfb.org and subdomains of nfb.org will be undergoing a
scheduled maintenance and upgrade to Drupal 9 again this Saturday, August
27. If there is content you need for a weekend chapter meeting, it may be
helpful to download prior to Saturday. Thank you for your understanding.
Voice of the Nation’s Blind Blog Post:

Read the recent blog post, “From Contributor to Editor: Monitoring a
Movement,” by Gary Wunder
<https://nfb.org/blog/contributor-editor-monitoring-movement>.
Blind Prisoner Resources:

Earlier this month the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado and two
blind prisoners resolved their suit against the Colorado Department of
Corrections. The requirements included in the settlement can be considered
best practices:


https://nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/rulings-filings-and-letters#blindprisoners
.


Additionally, the NFB reviewed and endorsed the white paper, *Project:
Effective Communication with Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind, and Low Vision
Incarcerated People*, available at
https://nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/support-and-resources.
Comments to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Regarding
Autonomous Vehicles:

On Friday, August 19, we submitted comments to the NationalHighway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding the development and testing of
fully autonomous vehicles
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/comments-nhtsa-regarding-ford-and-gm-requests>.
These comments were in response to petitions from Ford and General Motors
to be exempt from certain Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards as they
pertain to autonomous vehicles. The exemption requests included features in
the area of brake pedals, rearview mirrors and backup cameras, and
positioning of windshield wipers and sun visors. Given the great benefit
that fully autonomous vehicles will likely have for blind Americans, we
reviewed this matter and believe that the exemptions sought by Ford and GM
should be granted in order to further the development of fully autonomous
vehicles. You can read our full comments on this, and many other regulatory
issues, on the policy statements page
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements> of our
website.
Attention Job Seekers and Employers:

The NFB Employment Committee is hosting a fall virtual career fair on
October 26, 2022, between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m., eastern. Mark your calendars;
details soon to follow.


Also, don’t forget to join us on Friday, September 9, at 8:00 p.m.,
eastern, for the next in our Where the Blind Work webinar series,
highlighting blind workers in blue-collar jobs in our upcoming segment.


Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98058249388


Meeting ID: 980 5824 9388


One tap mobile
+13017158592,,98058249388# US (Washington DC)
+13092053325,,98058249388# US


For more information, please contact Maurice Peret, coordinator of career
mentoring and employment programs at mperet at nfb.org or at 410-659-9314,
extension 2350.
Dates to Keep in Mind: (all times eastern)


   - August 31: Deadline for affiliates to request Action Fund Braille
   calendars
   - September 1: Presidential Release
   - January 30, 2023: Great Gathering-In
   - March 23, 2023: Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium
   - July 1-6, 2023: National Convention; Houston, Texas
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