[NFBNJ] NFB President’s Notebook - Week of 10/29/2024

Tue Oct 29 16:15:08 UTC 2024

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

Dear Federation Family,

I hope this message finds you doing well as we are going into some of the
busiest convention weekends of the year. I wanted to take this opportunity
to acknowledge some new affiliate presidents who have joined the ranks
during the past month.

 The first is Diane Graves of Indiana who has served briefly as affiliate
president previously. We are glad she is back.

 Our next new president is in Iowa where Helen Mejia has finished her first
week as affiliate president after a very successful NFB of Iowa convention.

Finally, this past weekend, long-time affiliate president Carla McQuillan
transitioned out of her role and the convention elected Stephanie McGary as
the new president of our Oregon affiliate. I was honored to be on hand to
celebrate Carla McQuillan’s decades of leadership in our Oregon affiliate
and beyond.

Critical Actions:
*Bay Bridge Run:*

The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children invites you to join
us for the Bay Bridge Run on November 10. It’s not too late to register and
join Team NFB Dreamers for this 10k walk/run as we bridge the gap between
blind people and our dreams. Please visit https://nfb.org/BayBridge to
learn more and to register. Register by October 25 to receive a Team NFB
Dreamers hat before the event. You can also find our Participant Toolkit
<https://nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/bay-bridge-run/bay-bridge-run-participant-toolkit>
for use in your fundraising efforts. If you have any questions or need
assistance registering, please contact Rachel at rheld at nfb.org or
410-659-9314, extension 2423.

*Upcoming Presidential Release:*

The National Federation of the Blind presidential release chapter version
will be available on November 1—the audio, transcript, and Spanish
translation. The chapter version is intended to be played during each
chapter meeting throughout the month. Access the chapter version and live
details
<https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases>.

 The next Presidential Release Live will be Monday, November 11, at 7:30
p.m., eastern. Zoom details are below.

Presidential Release Live Zoom:

Via Zoom Meeting ID is 992 8465 7783 <https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/99284657783>

One tap mobile: +13017158592,,99284657783#
News: *Election Information on NFB-NEWSLINE®:*

We have added the All Politics Now publication to our Breaking News Online
category on NFB-NEWSLINE. Additionally, we have implemented a candidate
search option for the 2024 presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
The searches are done across top newspapers, breaking news, international
outlets, and magazines. To access this information via telephone, select
option 1 from the main menu, then option 5 for the 2024 candidate searches.
If using the NFB-NEWSLINE mobile app, go to the Information Sources tab,
select "All Publications," and then "Candidate 2024 Searches." For
subscribers using Web News on Demand, choose "Publications Organized
Alphabetically" and select “2024 Candidate Searches.”
*Blind Voters Survey and Election Day Hotline:*

Our online Blind Voters Survey is available, and we encourage anyone who
has already voted to complete it so that your experiences, whether positive
or negative, can be documented. There are three versions of the survey
depending on how you voted: Voted in person
<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VDJGSS8>, voted absentee
<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VYYJDXT>, or the Spanish language survey
<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7J3G7FH> (which includes both in-person and
absentee voting options). Our Election Day Hotline will be operational on
Tuesday, November 5. The hotline number is 877-632-1940.
*Upcoming Early Childhood Initiatives: Santa Letters and Winter Celebration
Program:*

Again, this year the National Federation of the Blind is not only helping
Santa out with Braille letters to blind children, but our program also has
a winter-themed Braille letter for those who do not celebrate the Christmas
holiday. We are excited to provide both of these letters in English and
Spanish. Parents of children under the age of ten can select one of the
options that best fits their family.

Starting November 11, 2024, parents can request the Braille activity packet
online or via email. The celebration packets will start going out to blind
children around the country on December 2. The Braille letter will also be
accompanied by a print copy for the whole family to participate in the fun
activities that accompany the celebration letters. The deadline for letter
requests is December 16 to ensure that a return letter in Braille is
received before the winter season ends.Learn more about the Santa Letters
and Winter Celebration Program
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/early-childhood-initiatives/santa-letters>
.

*Social Security Administration Settlement:*

The National Federation of the Blind is pleased to announce a significant
settlement agreement with the Social Security Administration (SSA),
resolving a lawsuit we filed along with two blind individuals in 2020. The
agreement marks a victory for blind Americans by providing more accessible
options for interacting with the SSA through electronic (instead of wet
ink) signatures. The case challenged the SSA’s policies limiting the use of
electronic signatures for critical forms related to Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI). The lawsuit alleged that these restrictions
created significant barriers for blind and low-vision individuals and other
people with disabilities who needed to apply for or access benefits,
violating Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. To learn about the
details of the settlement, which includes reimbursement of $300,000 in
attorney’s fees, read the official press release
<https://nfb.org/index.php/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-announces-landmark-settlement-social-security>
.

*Affiliate and Division Website Redesign Project Update:*

The National Federation of the Blind is upgrading the affiliate and
division websites to modernize and unify the Federation’s web presence onto
the Drupal platform—forty-five state sites have gone through the process as
of October 2024. The most recent transitions were NFB of Montana, NFB of
Oklahoma, NFB of Texas, NFB of Missouri, and NFB of New York. The last
series of state sites are Idaho, Virginia, Oregon, Alaska, Pennsylvania,
Maryland, and California. We will share an update on the divisions after
completing the states. We are also in the process of upgrading all sites to
Drupal 10. For questions about the project, please email
NFBProjectTeam at nfb.org.
Dates to Keep in Mind:

(all times eastern)

   - November 10: Bay Bridge Run
   - February 3, 2025: Great Gathering-In
   - February 3-6, 2025: Washington Seminar
   - July 8-13, 2025: National Convention; New Orleans, Louisiana

Introduction to the Organized Blind Movement

   - Wednesday, November 6, 8:00 p.m.

The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and
all blind people in the United States. We know 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. Our collective power, determination,
and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.

Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
<https://www.google.com/maps/search/200+East+Wells+Street,+Baltimore,+MD+21230?entry=gmail&source=g>
410-659-9314 | Officeofthepresident at nfb.org

Please engage with me through Riccobono Personal AI
<https://riccobono.personal.ai/messaging/profile>
Mastodon: @President at nfb.social
Pronouns: he, him, his

[image: National Federation of the Blind] <https://nfb.org/>

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<http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind>    [image: Twitter]
<https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice>    [image: Youtube]
<https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind>

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we
work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
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