[NFBNJ] NFB President’s Notebook - Week of 11/06/2023

Tue Nov 7 02:27:37 UTC 2023

President’s NotebookNational Federation of the BlindMark A. Riccobono
officeofthepresident at nfb.org410-659-9314

Dear Federation Family,

I am feeling energized after attending the National Federation of the Blind
of Kansas convention this past weekend. It was my first time ever visiting
this affiliate convention. I noted some other Federationists visiting from
other states. I think it is always a great way to build our movement when
leaders take time to visit other affiliates to share their ideas and take
home new approaches.

This week is a special one for me. Twenty years ago this week, I started as
an employee working at our national office. Although I left the staff in
2014, I have the joy of coming to work here each day. I had no idea that my
path would take the turns it has by committing my time and energy to this
movement. I feel truly blessed to be able to serve you every day. Here’s to
the next twenty years of service to the movement and may we accomplish even
more together. Thank you for the opportunity to work closely with each of
you.

News:*November Presidential Release Chapter Version Available:*

The National Federation of the Blind Presidential Release #532 chapter
version
<https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases> is
available. Please mark your calendars for the December Presidential Release
scheduled for November 30, 2023, at 8:00 p.m., eastern. Zoom details coming
soon.

*Happy Federation Anniversary:*

The National Federation of the Blind was founded November 16, 1940, in
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Celebrate by reading history of the organized
blind movement. Here are two publications: *Building the Lives We Want*
<https://nfb.org/about-us/history-and-governance/building-lives-we-want>
 and *Walking Alone and Marching Together*
<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/books/wamt/wamtc.htm>.

*Share Op-Ed Article Regarding Voting:*

Security and accessibility are not mutually exclusive. It is time for
voters with disabilities to be treated as first-class citizens and afforded
full and equal voting rights. As blind people, the National Federation of
the Blind is working toward that goal. Share the following op-ed published
in *The Hill* to affiliate and division social media: “Why do some voting
advocates fight equal access for the blind?
<https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/4278948-why-do-some-voting-advocates-fight-equal-access-for-the-blind/>
”

*IRS Direct File Pilot Program:*

Thirteen states have agreed to participate in the IRS Direct File pilot
program for the 2024 tax filing season. Direct File will allow taxpayers to
file their federal returns directly with the IRS for free. The thirteen
states participating are Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee,
Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. For the pilot, Direct File will only be
available for filing simple federal tax returns. We are reaching out to the
IRS to investigate the accessibility of the Direct File program.

*Upcoming Early Childhood Initiatives: Santa Letters and Winter Celebration
Program:*

The National Federation of the Blind provides Braille letters celebrating
Christmas and winter holidays for blind children. We are excited to provide
letters in English and Spanish again this year. Parents of children under
age ten can select the option that best fits their family.

We invite parents to begin requesting these Braille activity packets online
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/early-childhood-initiatives/santa-letters>,
via fax at 410-685-5653, or via email at communityrelations at nfb.org on
November 6. We will start mailing celebration packets around December 4,
but you can request packets until December 15.

Each packet will include a Braille letter, a print letter, and some fun
activities for the whole family to share. Learn more about the Santa
Letters and Winter Celebration Program on the NFB website
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/early-childhood-initiatives/santa-letters>
.

*Catch Up on Content:*

Highlights, news, and stories are available in the most recent *Braille
Monitor*, *Nation’s Blind Podcast*, and *Voice of the Nation’s Blind Blog*.
The following are National Federation of the Blind publications for you to
access and share with Federationists:

   - November *Braille Monitor*
   <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm23/bm2310/bm2310tc.htm>
   - *Nation’s Blind Podcast *episode*, *#BlindMonth 2023
   <https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/nations-blind-podcast>
   - Blog article*, **Blind Kids Can: Krystal Guillory’s Federation Story*
   <https://nfb.org/blog/blind-kids-can-krystal-guillorys-federation-story>

*Career Opportunities at the National Federation of the Blind:*

The National Federation of the Blind is always seeking talented individuals
to join our staff team. We have several current openings: Affiliate Finance
Bookkeeper, Hospitality Assistant, Hospitality Manager, Lead – Center of
Excellence in Nonvisual Access, NFB-NEWSLINE® Operations Specialist, and
Talent Resource Coordinator. Please share and refer qualified
candidates. Access
the benefits guide and job descriptions to learn more
<https://nfb.org/about-us/career-opportunities>.

*NFB EQ for Parents: A STEM Learning Toolkit for Parents of Blind Children:*

The National Federation of the Blind understands that with the proper
tools, environment, and encouragement blind people can participate equally
in any career field they choose. As a parent, you want to support your
child in participating actively in all areas of their education, including
science and math. The STEM Learning Toolkit for Parents of Blind Children
was designed to support you as the parent of a blind child in guiding your
child’s successes in STEM and much more. To learn more about the toolkit,
visit
https://nfb.org/programs-services/education/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb-eq/nfb-eq-parents
.

*NFB EQ for Teachers: A Nonvisual & Accessible Engineering Curriculum:*

The National Federation of the Blind has always been an innovator when it
comes to education, technology, and access. We believe that STEM learning
should be accessible for all, including blind and low-vision youth. As our
world is evolving to become more and more digital, we discovered a need to
create a version of our popular NFB EQ curriculum that is digitally
accessible, free, and publicly available. In other words, an online, Open
Educational Resource (OER) that allows educators to access the NFB EQ
curriculum remotely — from anywhere. To access the curriculum, visit
https://nfb.org/programs-services/education/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb-eq/nfb-eq-teachers
.

Dates to Keep in Mind:(all times eastern)

   - November 8: Introduction to the Organized Blind Movement, 8:00 p.m.
   - Monday, January 29, 2024: Great Gathering-In
   - January 29 -February 1, 2024: Washington Seminar
   <https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar>
   - July 3-8, 2024: National Convention; Orlando, Florida

*2024 Introduction to the Organized Blind Movement:*

   - Wednesday, February 7, 8:00 p.m.
   - Wednesday, May 8, 8:00 p.m.
   - Wednesday, August 7, 8:00 p.m.
   - Wednesday, November 6, 8:00 p.m.

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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