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<DIV> Greetings to all!</DIV>
<DIV>Each week the presidents of the affiliates and other leaders in the
Federation receive the President’s Notebook.</DIV>
<DIV>I have pasted items of importance for your interest with raising
expectations to live the life we want!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Warmly,</DIV>
<DIV>Joe </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">We
care. We
share. We grow. We make a difference<BR>Joe Ruffalo, President <BR>National
Federation of the Blind of New Jersey <BR>973 743
0075<BR>nfbnj1@verizon.net<BR><A
href="http://www.nfbnj.org">www.nfbnj.org</A></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">Raising
Expectations To Live The Life You Want!</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">Your
old
car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.<BR>Donate your unwanted
vehicle
to us by clicking <BR>www.carshelpingtheblind.org <BR>or call 855 659
9314<BR></DIV>
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<DIV>President’s Notebook</DIV>
<DIV>National Federation of the Blind</DIV>
<DIV>Mark A. Riccobono</DIV>
<DIV>officeofthepresident@nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org></DIV>
<DIV>(410) 659-9314</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Fellow Federationists:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As the fall convention season begins to swing into high gear, there are
a
number of things to keep at the top of our priority list. I am sure you are
all
eager to know about our members in North Carolina. I have talked with our
affiliate president and as far as we know, none of our members have been
physically harmed, but many members lived in areas completely devastated by
Hurricane Florence. Our members who have been impacted the most have not yet
been able to return to their homes to assess the damage. As with our
hurricane
relief efforts last year, we are prepared to help but it will take time to
assess where that help is most needed. If you wish to make contributions to
the
Federation's hurricane relief project, you can use the general donation form
at
nfb.org and indicate hurricane relief project as a comment.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We have previously mentioned the site access for Aira at all NFB state
conventions. Gary Wunder is managing some of our relationship with Aira. If
you
have questions about Aira, about distributing the information in affiliate
communications, or about Aira participation at your convention, please speak
with him at gwunder@nfb.org<A
href="mailto:gwunder@nfb.org">mailto:gwunder@nfb.org</A>.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Today is September 18 and the Baltimore Orioles are honoring the
National
Federation of the Blind this evening. If you are not able to be there in
person,
I hope you will share the information about the online auction of the first
Braille jerseys to be used by a professional sports team, found at
orioles.com/auctions<<A
href="http://orioles.com/auctions">http://orioles.com/auctions</A>>.
Furthermore, you should consider putting in a bid. Today is also my mother's
birthday—she is an active member of the National Federation of the Blind of
Wisconsin. I will be celebrating Mom's birthday by throwing out the first
pitch
at the game tonight. Happy birthday, Mom!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>News:</DIV>
<DIV>Advocacy Update:</DIV>
<DIV>Thank you for all of your calls and emails regarding the Marrakesh
Treaty
Implementation Act (S. 2559) and the Access Technology Affordability Act
(H.R.
1734/S. 732). Regarding Marrakesh, Neil Romano, chair of the National
Council on
Disability and presidential appointee, has written a letter to House
leadership
urging them to pass the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act. Mr. Romano
spoke at
our most recent convention and his letter can be found at <A
href="https://ncd.gov/publications/2018/ncd-letter-house-judiciary-committee-and-house-leadership-regarding-marrakesh">https://ncd.gov/publications/2018/ncd-letter-house-judiciary-committee-and-house-leadership-regarding-marrakesh</A>.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Regarding the ATAA, we are up to thirteen cosponsors in the Senate and
we
are hoping to get the score from the Joint Committee on Taxation later this
week.</DIV>
<DIV>Please continue to call Chairman Goodlatte and urge him to discharge
the
Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act back to the full House, and please also
call
your representatives and urge them to cosponsor H.R. 1734. If you need
additional information, you can email John Pare at
jpare@nfb.org<mailto:jpare@nfb.org>, or reach him by phone at
410-659-9314, extension 2218.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Meet the Blind Month:</DIV>
<DIV>Meet the Blind Month is upon us! We would like to create a new page
listing
the 2018activities. Please email events you have planned to
kanderson@nfb.org<mailto:kanderson@nfb.org> or share them with us via
social media, and we’ll add them to our website<<A
href="https://nfb.org/meet-blind-month">https://nfb.org/meet-blind-month</A>>.
We have updated White Cane Awareness Day<<A
href="https://nfb.org/white-cane-awareness-day">https://nfb.org/white-cane-awareness-day</A>>
web content. You may use the www.nfb.org/wcad<<A
href="http://www.nfb.org/wcad">http://www.nfb.org/wcad</A>> URL in local
communications if you wish. Please be on the lookout for an email later this
week with more details and resources regarding October events.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Dream Makers Circle:</DIV>
<DIV>Building the Federation for the Next Generation</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We need to plan for the fiscal health of the National Federation of the
Blind for the future. Our legacy society, Dream Makers Circle, helps do
that.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We want to grow our legacy society, but we need your help. In order to
ask
others to become members, it is important for us to show that our leadership
supports our legacy society. It is easy to join. In some cases, you can
become a
part of our Dream Makers Circle with a quick trip to the bank. You can name
the
Federation or your affiliate as the beneficiary or partial beneficiary of a
life
insurance policy, IRA, or pension plan. The Federation can be a contingent
beneficiary after you plan for loved ones. Please call 410-659-9314,
extension
2422, or email pchang@nfb.org<mailto:pchang@nfb.org> to explore the
possibilities.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Dates to Keep in Mind:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> * Fall conventions<<A
href="https://nfb.org/state-conventions">https://nfb.org/state-conventions</A>></DIV>
<DIV> * October 11-12, 2018: Tactile Graphics
Symposium</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>· November 1, 2018: NFB
scholarship application period begins</DIV>
<DIV>· November 15, 2018:
Dr.
Jacob Bolotin Award application period begins</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> * January 28, 2019: Great Gathering-In; Washington
Seminar begins</DIV>
<DIV> * March 28-29, 2019: Jacobus tenBroek Law
Symposium</DIV>
<DIV> * July 7-12, 2019: NFB National Convention, Las
Vegas,
Nevada</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Mark A. Riccobono, President</DIV>
<DIV>200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230</DIV>
<DIV>(410) 659-9314 |
officeofthepresident@nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>[National Federation of the Blind]<<A
href="https://nfb.org/">https://nfb.org/</A>></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
[Facebook] <<A
href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind">http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind</A>>
[Twitter] <<A
href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice">https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice</A>>
[Youtube] <<A
href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind">https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind</A>></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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