[Nfbofsc] Positive Note 1537

[David Houck]

January 27, 2016

Memo To:  Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents &
Others

From:  Frank Coppel, President

Positive Note 1537


Greetings Fellow Federationists:

 

              As I am writing this Positive Note, a number of Federationists
are in Washington D.C. this week participating in the 2016 Washington
Seminar.  Because of the severe winter storm which occurred this past
weekend in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore area, we were unable to send
anyone from South Carolina to the Seminar this year.  However, I spoke with
Parnell Diggs, Director of Governmental Affairs for the NFB, and he informed
me that although the Baltimore and Washington area received 29.6 inches of
snow, the Seminar was going to continue as planned with some modifications.
The four legislative initiatives which are being presented to the U.S.
Congress this week are as follows: 

              1.  The Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment
Act (HR 188, S 2001) -   Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act
allows employers to pay workers with disabilities subminimum wage because of
the false assumption that they are less productive than nondisabled workers.
This antiquated provision breeds low expectations and discourages disabled
Americans from reaching their full vocational potential. HR 188 and S 2001
will responsibly phase out the use of Section 14(c) Special Wage
Certificates, ending the era of segregated, subminimum wage work.

              2,  The Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education
(AIM HE) Act - Electronic instructional materials have replaced traditional
methods of learning in postsecondary education, but the overwhelming
majority of ebooks, courseware, web content, and other technologies are
inaccessible to students with print disabilities. The law requires equal
access in the classroom but fails to provide direction to schools for the
way it applies to technology. AIM HE creates voluntary accessibility
guidelines for educational technology to improve blind students' access to
course material, stimulate the market, and reduce litigation for schools.

              3.  Equal Access to Air Travel for Service-Disabled Veterans
(HR 2264) - The Space Available Program allows active-duty military, Red
Cross employees, and retired members of the armed services to travel on
military aircraft if space is available. HR 2264 reverses the exclusion of
100 percent service-disabled veterans who were discharged before September
23, 1996, and entitles them to the program's privileges even though they
were never classified as "retired."

              4.  The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published
Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print
Disabled - Despite the ability to convert print books into accessible
formats like Braille, large print, audio, and digital copies, millions of
blind and otherwise print-disabled Americans are excluded from accessing 95
percent of published works. The Marrakesh Treaty calls for contracting
parties to provide in their national copyright laws for a limitation or
exception that allows for the reproduction, distribution, and cross-border
exchange of accessible works.  

              I am certain the Federationists who are attending the
Washington Seminar despite the inclimate weather are working hard and doing
an excellent job.  However, we as members of this organization also need to
contact our U.S. Senators and Congressman to let them know of our support
for these four legislative priorities.  

              If you have not done so already, please turn in your 2016
state dues of $10 to the State Office as soon as possible.  When you submit
your state dues, please provide current contact information such as,
address, phone number and email address if you have one.  These things do
change and if we do not have updated information, we cannot keep you up to
date on what's going on.  The deadline for dues is January 31.  

              The NFB of SC is planning a Sweetheart dance which will be
held February 12, 2016 at the Federation Center from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The evening promises to be a fun and enjoyable experience with a
professionally catered dinner, door prizes, music and dancing.  Tickets to
this event will only be $25 and you can purchase them by calling Debra Canty
at (803) 775-5792.  We are also planning to reserve a block of rooms at a
nearby hotel for those of you who live outside of Columbia and would like to
attend the dance.  The NFB of SC is also selling an insulated sixteen ounce
NFB of SC coffee thermos for the price of $15.  These coffee thermoses are
very attractive and should be very easy to sell to federation members as
well as the general public.  If you wish to purchase one contact JW Smith at
(864) 269-0004 or contact me at (803) 796-8662.  

              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.  Joining me for comments in this
Positive Note is the President Emeritus of the NFB of SC.  Here is Dr.
Capps.  

              Unquestionably the main topic of the week was the snow
blizzard, breaking all previous records with places in West Virginia
experiencing 40 inches of snow.  Here in Columbia we had a snow dusting but
the snow melted as soon as it hit the ground or at least that's the way
things were at my residence.  

              There was snow in another area of the state; you guessed it -
Rocky Bottom.  Brooke West reports the following:  "On Friday there was a
decent amount of snowfall that knocked out the power for about twelve hours.
On Saturday we received about 8 inches of snowfall and it was just
breathtaking to see everything covered in a blanket of white.  On Sunday
there is still allot of snow on the ground and quite a lot of people in
trucks and SUVs were going by on their way up to Sassafras Mountain."  

              Brooke's efforts on behalf of RBRCCB as outlined in last
week's Positive Note has not gone unnoticed.  Jennifer Hoffman is the
excellent coordinator of the NFB BELL (Braille Enrichment for Literacy and
Learning) Academy in South Carolina.  After reading last week's Positive
Note received via email, Mrs. Hoffman wrote Brooke West the following:  "I
am a member of the NFB of SC and I read this week's report from Dr. Capps
regarding your work at Camp Rocky Bottom. I am writing to thank you for the
work you have accomplished at Rocky Bottom and to tell you that I greatly
appreciate your obvious skills of organization, sales, management and
dedication to improving upon the future of Rocky Bottom. Almost 10 years ago
my eldest, Michael, attended Children's Camp at Rocky Bottom. My second son,
Matthew, attended the summer of 2014 and enjoyed every minute of camp where
he sweetly met his first girlfriend. My family and I are ones of the many
for whom Camp Rocky Bottom holds a very special meaning.  Sincerely,
Jennifer."  In Brooke's weekly report she responds:  "Jennifer A.
Duffell-Hoffman the NFB BELL in SC, State Coordinator wrote me a very kind
and encouraging letter of thanks for the work I have done here at RBRCCB. I
was so pleased to read her letter and wrote her a cordial letter in return
thanking her for taking the time to write. I also shared that knowing
families like hers across the state have such special memories and fondness
for RBRCCB really gives me an extra boost of hopefulness and perseverance
when I seek donations and contact churches for new rentals and volunteer
work."  

              Last week I explained the many churches who will be using the
facilities at RBRCCB later this spring or summer.  An increasing number of
weddings are being booked.  One wedding to occur in October will result in
all of the overnight facilities being used which will bring in $2,600.  The
father of the bride is an upstate bank president.  Another church has booked
the facilities at RBRCCB which will bring in another $2,300.  Brooke is very
excited about these rentals and she is justifiably proud of this huge rental
success.

 

Final Thought:  Did you ever notice that when it snows people can't possibly
get to work but those who are at work can certainly make their way home!

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