<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:large"><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">President’s Notebook</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-BookmarkEnd gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">National Federation of the Blind</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">Mark A. Riccobono</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-EmptyTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Calibri,Calibri_EmbeddedFont,Calibri_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"></span><a class="gmail-Hyperlink gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:inherit"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-Underlined gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:14pt;text-decoration-line:underline;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">officeofthepresident@nfb.org</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-EmptyTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"></span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">410-659-9314</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"> </span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">Dear Federation Family,</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">In Baltimore today it is the first day of school. It is a day that brings a lot of new energy and nervous excitement. For me it is also a day of reflection about the thousands of little interactions that </span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">built</span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> to this moment. No matter what the past has been, with a new school year there is opportunity for growth and development.</span></span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"><br></span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">I am also reflecting on this new school year as we head into the next Federation leadership seminar starting Wednesday evening. Fifty years ago, Kenneth Jernigan was preparing for the first of this generation of seminars. That pathway of leaders has made all the difference in building our movement. Those leaders have also continued to grow and develop the movement in ways that Kenneth Jernigan likely did not imagine in August 1973.</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">I reflect on </span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">all of</span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> this as today is also the sixtieth anniversary of the March on Washington, which is more widely known for Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. This all reminds me that progress, even within big sweeping movements like ours, is not built in big moments but in small ones. Our steady march forward relies on the thousands of contributions made by individuals in local communities. It relies on us not always getting it right but in always pointing toward our ultimate goals and adjusting our work to get better each day. Each of you, as a leader in the movement, is critical to pulling together those thousands of small actions and connecting them into a network that makes all the difference to the blind all around the world.</span></span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"><br></span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">These are my reflections on the first day of school and on the next fifty years of NFB leadership development, which begins this week.</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"> </span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">Critical Actions:</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">September Presidential Release—On the </span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">Road: </span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">The</span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> National Federation of the Blind </span></span><a class="gmail-Hyperlink gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" href="https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:inherit"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-Underlined gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:14pt;text-decoration-line:underline;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">Presidential Release #530</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"> will be broadcast from Chicago, Illinois, on September 7, 2023, at 8:00 p.m., eastern. Closed captions and Spanish interpretations will be available. </span><a class="gmail-Hyperlink gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" href="https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/92982679807" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:inherit"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-Underlined gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:14pt;text-decoration-line:underline;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">Presidential Release Zoom ID: 929 8267 9807</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">.</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none"> </span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">News:</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">2024 Washington Seminar:</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">While I won’t say that it’s right around the corner, the 2024 Washington Seminar is quickly approaching. Consider this notification as a kind of “save the date.” Next year’s Washington Seminar will be held at the Holiday Inn Washington – National Capitol from Monday, January 29 through Thursday, February 1, 2024. As is tradition, the Great Gathering-In will be on that Monday (January 29, 2024) at 5:00 p.m. That’s only five months away, so be sure to stay tuned for updates </span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">in the near future</span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> regarding hotel </span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">reservation</span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> and additional scheduling details.</span></span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"> </span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">Service Animals on Airlines:</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">Amanda Morris, a journalist for </span><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;font-style:italic;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">The Washington Post</span><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">, recently published an article detailing the problems that blind Americans are encountering when trying to fly on commercial airlines with their service animals. The article can be read in the </span><a class="gmail-Hyperlink gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/08/28/airline-regulations-service-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:inherit"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-Underlined gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:14pt;text-decoration-line:underline;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">August 28 edition of </span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-Underlined gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:14pt;font-style:italic;text-decoration-line:underline;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">The Washington Post</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">. In the article, Morris recounts the experience of Federation member Elizabeth Schoen, who was recently denied boarding a JetBlue flight because of her service dog.</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 24px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"> </span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">Route 66 Ride for Literacy Update:</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">The National Federation of the Blind Route 66 Ride for Literacy with Dan O’Rourke is still going strong. Dan crossed from Oklahoma to Kansas to Missouri over the weekend. He has celebrated the ride so far with Federationists along the way. There is one more pitstop party in Missouri on August 31 before the final celebration in Chicago on September 8. Please share this ride with your friends and family to raise awareness on the importance of Braille literacy and connecting with our community. Follow the Ride for Literacy at </span><a class="gmail-Hyperlink gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" href="https://nfb.org/route66" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:inherit"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-Underlined gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:14pt;text-decoration-line:underline;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">nfb.org/route66</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">.</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 24px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"> </span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">Lift Up with Lyft Round Up:</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">The National Federation of the Blind has joined Lyft’s Round Up program. Please go to the menu in your Lyft app, choose “Donate,” and select the National Federation of the Blind to have each fare rounded up to the nearest dollar with 100 percent of your contribution going to raise expectations and make dreams come true.</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 24px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"></span></span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">LEGO Braille Bricks:</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">Lego Braille Bricks, which have previously only been available to educational partners serving the blind through the LEGO Foundation, are now available for sale in the United States. Pre-orders are now being accepted for the new </span><a class="gmail-Hyperlink gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2023/august/lego-braille-bricks-play-with-braille-" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:inherit"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-Underlined gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:14pt;text-decoration-line:underline;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">LEGO</span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-Underlined gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:11pt;text-decoration-line:underline;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-Superscript gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:super">®</span></span><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-Underlined gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:14pt;text-decoration-line:underline;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> Braille Bricks – Play with Braille </span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(17,17,17);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none"> </span><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">set, which contains over 250 of the Braille Bricks in five colors. Braille is a key pathway to literacy, and engaging blind and low-vision children with fun and creative Braille tools puts them on the path to success. LEGO Braille Bricks are a cool way for blind and non-blind friends and family to learn about and create with Braille together. LEGO is already an integral part of the lives of many young people, including my own family. By making Braille part of the LEGO experience, the company is creating exciting opportunities for education, inclusion, and innovation. We are thrilled to be a partner in the introduction of LEGO Braille Bricks to the American market.</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 24px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"> </span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">Submit Blind Equality Achievement Month Activities:</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">Throughout October, members of the National Federation of the Blind conduct activities in our local communities such as white cane walks, film screenings, and social events. Please submit your affiliate or chapter-related #BlindMonth activities, including the </span><a class="gmail-Hyperlink gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/blind-equality-achievement-month/white-cane-awareness-day" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:inherit"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-Underlined gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:14pt;text-decoration-line:underline;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">white cane proclamations</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">, with a brief description to </span><a class="gmail-Hyperlink gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" href="mailto:web@nfb.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:inherit"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-Underlined gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:14pt;text-decoration-line:underline;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">web@nfb.org</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">. They will be posted on the Blind Equality Achievement Month page at </span><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,255);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><a href="http://nfb.org/blind-month">nfb.org/blind-month</a></span><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">.</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 24px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"> </span><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"> </span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-variant-ligatures:none">Dates to Keep in Mind:</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">(</span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px">all</span><span class="gmail-NormalTextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"> times eastern)</span></span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">September 14 and 17: Chapter Presidents Call, 8:00 p.m. (Blind Equality Achievement Month)</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span><br></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">October: Blind Equality Achievement Month</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">November 8: Introduction to the Organized Blind Movement, 8:00 p.m.</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none">July 3-8, 2024: National Convention; Orlando, Florida</span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span><br></p></div><div class="gmail-OutlineElement gmail-Ltr gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;clear:both;direction:ltr;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web",Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;font-size:12px"><p class="gmail-Paragraph gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-kerning:none;color:windowtext"><span lang="EN-US" class="gmail-TextRun gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:none"> </span><span class="gmail-EOP gmail-SCXW35990069 gmail-BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:14pt;line-height:23px;font-family:Tahoma,Tahoma_EmbeddedFont,Tahoma_MSFontService,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p></div></div></div></div>