<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><b>President’s Notebook</b><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">National Federation of the Blind</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Mark A. Riccobono</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">officeofthepresident@nfb.org</a></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">410-659-9314</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Dear Federation Community,</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Happy New Year to each of you. I hope this message finds you swinging into the new year with joy and good health. As you heard on last Thursday’s Presidential Release Live, we have not wasted any time in 2024 to start making progress in the organized blind movement. </font></div><div class="gmail_default"><h1><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">2024 Washington
Seminar Fact Sheets:<span></span></font></h1></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">The fact sheets for our three legislative priorities are available on the <a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar" target="_blank">Washington Seminar
page</a> of our website. They are now available in four formats: HTML, Word, BRF, and audio files. We recommend that you review these fact sheets to ensure that you are well-prepared to advocate for our issues when you meet with your members of Congress.</font></div>
<h1><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">January
Presidential Release Chapter Version:<span></span></font></h1><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">The National Federation of the Blind <a href="https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases" target="_blank"><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Presidential
Release #534</span></a> is available. Please note that the February Presidential Release will not be live. Please attend the <a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar" target="_blank"><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Washington
Seminar Great Gathering-In</span></a> on Monday, January 29, 2024, at 5:00 p.m., eastern. The February Presidential Release recording will be made available by February 2, 2024.</font></div><h1><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Member Profile:</font></h1><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">We are hearing good things from the members that are accessing their member profile. All members with unique email addresses should have an account. The login is the member’s email address that we have connected to their membership. If someone hasn't logged in yet, they can go to <a href="http://nfb.org">nfb.org</a> and select Members. Their username is the email address associated with their membership. Select Change Password to set it. If anyone has questions, they should send an email to <a href="mailto:membership@nfb.org" target="_blank">membership@nfb.org</a></font></div><div class="gmail_default"><h1><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">2023 Donation Tax
Summaries:<span></span></font></h1></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Thank you to everyone who supported the Federation in 2023. Annual PAC summaries will be sent out later this month. If you also made a general donation and would like that total added to your letter, or if you have any questions, please contact <a href="mailto:outreach@nfb.org" target="_blank">outreach@nfb.org</a> </font></div><div class="gmail_default"><h1><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Do You Know Someone
Who Uses Our Advocacy Toolkits?:<span></span></font></h1></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">We are seeking to identify someone who is using one of our advocacy toolkits listed below. If you know of someone who has used one of our toolkits, please contact Patti Chang at <a href="mailto:pchang@nfb.org" target="_blank">pchang@nfb.org</a> or 410-659-9314, extension 2422. Our current toolkits are:</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"></p><ul><li><span style="color:black"><a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/advocacy-resources/blind-parents-essential-guide-effective-communication" target="_blank"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Blind Parent’s
Essential Guide to Effective Communication from Public and Private Schools</font></a></span></li><li><span style="color:black"><a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/higher-education-accessibility-online-resource" target="_blank"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Higher Education
Accessibility Online Resource Center</font></a></span></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">·<span style="color:black"><a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/advocacy-resources/self-advocacy-higher-education-toolkit" target="_blank">Self-Advocacy in
Higher Education Toolkit Version 2.0</a></span></font></li><li><span style="color:black"><a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/advocacy-resources/self-advocacy-employment-toolkit" target="_blank"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Self-Advocacy in
Employment Toolkit</font></a></span></li><li><span style="color:black"><a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/advocacy-resources/self-advocacy-employment-toolkit/herramientas-de" target="_blank"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Herramientas de
autodefensa en el empleo</font></a></span></li><li><span style="color:black"><a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/advocacy-resources/high-stakes-testing-self-advocacy-toolkit" target="_blank"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">High-Stakes
Testing Self-Advocacy Toolkit</font></a></span></li></ul><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><span></span></font><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><span></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><span></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><span></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><span></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><span></span></font></p></div><div class="gmail_default"><h1><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Catch Up on
Content:<span></span></font></h1></div><div class="gmail_default"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Highlights, news, and stories are available in the most recent Braille Monitor, Future Reflections, 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. These articles and episodes are great to share on affiliate and division social media to create discussions on various topics.</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"></p><ul><li><span style="color:black"><a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm24/bm2401/bm2401tc.htm" target="_blank"><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">January<i> Braille
Monitor</i></font></span></a></span></li><li><span style="color:black"><a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr42/4/fr4204tc.htm" target="_blank"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><i><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Future
Reflections</span></i><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">, Fall 2023</span></font></a></span></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="color:black"><a href="https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/nations-blind-podcast" target="_blank"><i>Nation’s Blind
Podcast</i></a></span><i><span style="color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></i><span style="color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">episode<i>,</i> “AI and the Blind”</span></font></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Blog articles<i>,</i></span><span style="color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"><a href="https://nfb.org/blog/reflecting-power-collective-action" target="_blank"><i>Reflecting on
the Power of Collective Action</i></a></span><i><span style="color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></i><span style="color:black;border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">and<i> </i></span><span style="color:black"><a href="https://nfb.org/blog/all-braille-readers-are-leaders-blind-parents-journey" target="_blank"><i>All Braille
Readers Are Leaders: A Blind Parent’s Journey</i></a></span></font></li></ul><p></p>
</div><div class="gmail_default"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><b>Dates to Keep in Mind: </b>(all times eastern)<span></span></font></p></div><div class="gmail_default"><ul><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Monday, January 29, 2024: Great Gathering-In</font></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Tuesday, January 30, 2024: Congressional Reception (Washington Seminar)</font></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">January 29-February 1, 2024: <a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar" target="_blank">Washington Seminar</a></font></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">April 15, 2024: Deadline for <a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/dr-jacob-bolotin-awards/application-information" target="_blank">Bolotin Award</a> nominations</font></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">July 3-8, 2024: National Convention; Orlando, Florida</font></li></ul><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Introduction to the Organized Blind
Movement<span></span></font></p></div><ul><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Wednesday, February 7, 8:00 p.m.</font></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Wednesday, May 8, 8:00 p.m.</font></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Wednesday, August 7, 8:00 p.m.</font></li><li><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Wednesday, November 6, 8:00 p.m.</font></li></ul></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><br></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>