[NFBofSC] FW: NFB President’s Notebook - Week of 12/06/2022

Tue Dec 6 22:32:25 UTC 2022

Good Afternoon,

Please see the below e-mail from the President’s Notebook. There are many important items in this issue. Please take time to review it.

My Best,

Marty

From: President, National Federation of the Blind <OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 6, 2022 10:04 AM
To: State Presidents <StatePresidents at nfb.org>; NFB-Division-Leaders at nfbnet.org; NCB Staff <NCBStaff at nfb.org>
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - Week of 12/06/2022

President’s Notebook
National Federation of the Blind
Mark A. Riccobono
officeofthepresident at nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>
410-659-9314

Dear Federation Family,
The past four days have been spent reviewing our progress this year and planning for the year(s) ahead. Our board of directors started the weekend with a number of meetings with partners followed by a celebration with our supporters. The enthusiasm for our work together in the movement is as high as it has ever been among our partners and friends. Take a moment to share this thank-you video<https://youtu.be/RrpR8h1KD-s> with supporters of our organization.

The National Federation of the Blind Board of Directors spent the following two days doing a deep review of the work of the organization and laying plans to make that work even stronger at all levels. We will be eager to roll some new things out to the members in 2023. One of the decisions made was to finalize our legislative priorities for the 2023 Washington Seminar. Our three issues this year will be:

  1.  Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act
  2.  Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act
  3.  Eliminating the SSDI Earnings Cliff

You are likely familiar with the first two issues, but the third is something new. We will be proposing a bill to Congress that will eliminate the SSDI earnings cliff and instead institute a gradual phase-out of benefits based on income. This will incentivize more blind and disabled Americans to find more fulfilling, better-paying jobs without fear of completely losing all of their SSDI benefits if they cross a specific earnings threshold. Each of these three issues will be discussed in depth during a Zoom issues training call on Tuesday, December 20 at 8:00 p.m., eastern.

Our weekend concluded on Sunday with a steering committee continuing the work on the organization’s strategic plan. We received very meaningful feedback from hundreds of members across the country and we are now working to shape the strategic commitments we will make to take our movement to the next level. I look forward to working with members and affiliate leaders on those commitments as we get into the second half of 2023.

News:
December Presidential Release Recording Available:
The Presidential Release #522 recording for chapters<https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases> is available to share with chapter presidents to use during their December chapter meetings. Transcripts and Spanish coming this week. The next Presidential Release LIVE will be January 4, World Braille Day.

Lyft Up and Share:
On Giving Tuesday 2022 Lyft added us to its round-up program. Now you can add the National Federation of the Blind as an option to receive contributions every time you ride–a great option for all of our friends and family. Please share the following blurb with members in emails and social media to help encourage people to participate. You can copy and paste the following:
An exciting and easy giving option for everyone: the organized blind movement has joined the Lyft Up program, so you can contribute every time you ride with Lyft. The program will round up the cost of your ride to the nearest dollar and donate the difference. In the Lyft app, simply go to the menu, navigate to donate, and choose National Federation of the Blind. Share this with all of your friends and family, because all of our small change leads to making a big difference. Thank you for your support!

Accessibility Requirements for Self-Service Transaction Machines and Self-Service Kiosks:
The National Federation of the Blind recently submitted comments to the US Access Board regarding its advanced notice of public rulemaking (ANPRM) related to accessibility requirements for self-service transaction machines and self-service kiosks. In our comments, we urge the Access Board to incorporate Section 508 regulations and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines into the rulemaking and further urge the Access Board to require 100 percent accessibility conformance in all locations. You can read our comments, as well as the other content on the Policy Statements<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements> section of our website.

Scholarship Program Deadline Approaching in March:
The National Federation of the Blind scholarship program helps blind college students reach their educational and employment goals and so much more. Building on its strong foundation, we have enhanced the awards granted—making the experience even more inclusive, engaging, and meaningful for the thirty finalists. Each scholarship winner will receive $8,000. Students can now be encouraged to apply for the 2023 scholarship program<https://scholarships.nfb.org/>.

Indeed Pre-Employment Assessments:
The National Federation of the Blind is investigating the accessibility of Indeed’s pre-employment assessments. If you have been invited by an employer to complete a pre-employment assessment through Indeed, or if you have wanted to or attempted to complete a pre-employment assessment as a way of bolstering your resume on Indeed, please contact Valerie Yingling, legal program coordinator, at legal at nfb.org<mailto:legal at nfb.org>.

Braille Monitor December Issue Available and Its History:
The latest issue of our flagship publication is now available. Read about the experience of attending one’s first convention, information on the Social Security announcement, tech tips, stories from members, and more. Access the December Braille Monitor now.<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm22/bm2211/bm2211tc.htm> Also available on our Voice of the Nation’s Blind Blog is an article titled “A Brief History of the Braille Monitor<https://nfb.org/blog/brief-history-braille-monitor>,” by Gary Wunder.

Braille Readers Are Leaders Has Begun:
December 5was the beginning of the 2022-2023 Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest. Participants in the contest should track the minutes they read Braille and log them at actionfund.beanstack.org. If someone wants to participate in the contest and has not yet registered, it is not too late. Individuals can sign up and participate in the contest until it ends on January 23, 2023. Remember that this year we have contests for youth as well as contests for adults of all Braille reading experience levels. If you have any questions, please email braillereadingcontest at actionfund.org<mailto:braillereadingcontest at actionfund.org>.

Reminders:

Santa and Winter Celebration Letters:
Don’t forget! The time is now to request a Santa or Winter Celebration letter from the National Federation of the Blind. There are only two weeks left! We are providing both letters and the activities to go along with them in English and Spanish. Wouldn’t your child, grandchild, or student love to receive a Braille letter in the mail during the winter break? The letters and activities are also provided in print for sighted family members and friends. Just think how fun it will be making lasting memories with your blind child that you cherish for years to come. All you need to do is visit http://nfb.org/program-servics/early-childhood-initiatives/santa-letters and complete the form. Hurry, requests will only be accepted through December 16, 2022.

Member Data Corrections:
If you have member information that needs correcting, you can send it to Danielle McCann (dmccann at nfb.org<mailto:dmccann at nfb.org>) by December 31 for updating. This does not include adding new members; they should be entered in the new member form.<https://nfb.org/new_member_form> This process is for existing members whose information is either incorrect in the portal or needs updating.

Dates to Keep in Mind:
(all times eastern)

  *   December 16: Deadline for Santa Letters and Winter Celebration<https://nfb.org/programs-services/early-childhood-initiatives/santa-letters>
  *   December 31: Deadline for assistance with updating member data
  *   January 4, 2023: Braille Day<https://braille.day/>
  *   January 30, 2023: Great Gathering-In
  *   March 23, 2023: Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium
  *   July 1-6, 2023: National Convention; Houston, Texas

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

Mark A. Riccobono, President
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
410-659-9314 | Officeofthepresident at nfb.org<mailto:Officeofthepresident at nfb.org>
Twitter: @Riccobono
Pronouns: he, him, his

[National Federation of the Blind]<https://nfb.org/>

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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.

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