<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.95px"><a name="m_-3013847518296606300_OLE_LINK9"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:21.4667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">President\u2019s Notebook<u></u><u></u></span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.95px"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:21.4667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">National Federation of the Blind<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.95px"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:21.4667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Mark A. Riccobono<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.95px"><a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:21.4667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">officeofthepresident@nfb.org</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:21.4667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><div class="gmail_default" style=""><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:21.4667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">410-659-9314</span></b></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" style="" size="4"><br></font></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" style="" size="4"><b style=""><span style="line-height:14.95px">Deadline Approaching for National Convention Registration:</span></b></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0in 10pt 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="line-height:14.95px">Get access to the latest information as it is made available for the 2026 National Convention. Online registration ($25) closes May 31. On-site registration ($30) will be available in Austin. Plan to register early to avoid the increased registration fees. Register now for the 2026 National Convention: </span><a href="https://nfb.org/registration" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:14.95px;color:blue">https://nfb.org/registration</span></a><span style="line-height:14.95px"> <u></u><u></u></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0in 10pt 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><span style="line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Reminder: Promote the convention using the hashtag #NFB26 on social media.<u></u><u></u></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0in 10pt 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><b><span style="line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><u></u> <u></u></font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><b><span style="line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Congratulations to Our 2026 Scholarship Finalists:<u></u><u></u></font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0in 10pt 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="line-height:14.95px">The National Federation of the Blind announced the finalists for its annual scholarship program, which provides financial assistance and connects students with blind mentors and other resources. Congratulations to the thirty outstanding finalists: </span><a href="https://buff.ly/pvb2bym?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExb0lRZjBqQ0cyMnlMUnpUWnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6ZntmousDSB62Jz0UvUD4X9d9s5XfIbB98dCGnfgXOu-LdjPBXYyXhF33PIg_aem_GWhjErAbcsq3unZj0Df4yg" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:14.95px;color:blue">https://buff.ly/pvb2bym</span></a><span style="line-height:14.95px"><u></u><u></u></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0in 10pt 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><u></u> <u></u></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><b><span style="line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Website Rule Legislative Alert:<u></u><u></u></font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0in 10pt 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">On April 20, the Department of Justice published an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register that delays the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II website accessibility rule for one year. The National Federation of the Blind has made our frustration with this delay clear to the DOJ via <a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/comments-response-interim-final-rule-regarding-ada" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">our official response to the ADA Title II Interim Final Rule</span></a>. This week, our governmental affairs group sent out a <a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/legislative-priorities/legislative-alerts/department-justice-delays" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">legislative alert on the ADA Title II Interim Final Rule</span></a> asking all of our members to voice their frustrations as well. We are hoping that if we flood the Department of Justice with comments arguing against the delay, as well as any further modification to the ADA Title II website rule, they will fully understand how important this is to us. So please, submit a comment and let them know just how critical digital access to state and local government websites is for all Americans. The alert contains a hyperlink that will take you directly to the <i>Federal Register</i> page where you can enter your own comments. You can find this legislative alert, as well as our other recent legislative alerts, on the <a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/legislative-priorities" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Legislative Priorities page</span></a> of our website.<u></u><u></u></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0in 10pt 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><u></u> <u></u></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><b><span style="line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">National Association of Blind Merchants Town Hall Regarding Department of Education Lawsuit:<u></u><u></u></font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0in 10pt 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">On Wednesday, May 20, at 2:30 p.m., Eastern, the National Association of Blind Merchants will host a Zoom town hall. Specifically, this is an invitation for those who are interested to learn more about the most recent updates regarding the NFB and NABM lawsuit against the Department of Education, which <span aria-invalid="grammar" class="Lm ng" style="border-style:none;background:none">was a spurred</span> by the department granting the Army a waiver to the Randolph-Sheppard priority. The link to attend this Zoom meeting is:<u></u><u></u></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0in 10pt 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><a href="https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/97517056856?pwd=mZzHaGaK3tFtePxI2wkzsFJNXHYBaC.1" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/97517056856?pwd=mZzHaGaK3tFtePxI2wkzsFJNXHYBaC.1</span></a><u></u><u></u></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0in 10pt 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><u></u> <u></u></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.25in;line-height:14.95px"><span style="line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><u></u> <u></u></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.95px"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><a name="m_-3013847518296606300__Hlk216694561"></a><a name="m_-3013847518296606300__Hlk183426075"><b><span style="line-height:21.4667px">Dates to Keep in Mind:<u></u><u></u></span></b></a></font></p><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-top:0in"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 15px;color:black;line-height:14.95px;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">May 31: Deadline for 2026 NFB National Convention online registration<u></u><u></u></font></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 15px;color:black;line-height:14.95px;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">June 4: Deadline to submit a resolution for consideration<u></u><u></u></font></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 15px;color:black;line-height:14.95px;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">July 3-8: National Convention; Austin, Texas<u></u><u></u></font></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 15px;color:black;line-height:14.95px;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">July 2-7, 2027: National Convention; Austin, Texas<u></u><u></u></font></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 15px;color:black;line-height:14.95px;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">July 3-8, 2028: National Convention; Chicago, Illinois<u></u><u></u></font></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 15px;color:black;line-height:14.95px;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">July 2-7, 2029: National Convention; Chicago, Illinois<u></u><u></u></font></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.5in;line-height:14.95px;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:black"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4"><u></u> <u></u></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 10pt;line-height:14.95px;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:black"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="4">Introduction to the Organized Blind Movement Calls<u></u><u></u></font></span></p><ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-top:0in"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 15px;color:black;line-height:14.95px;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">Wednesday, August 5<u></u><u></u></font></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 15px;color:black;line-height:14.95px;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">Wednesday, November 4</font></li></ul><br></div>