[NFBofSC] FW: NFB President’s Notebook - Week of 12/21/2022

Wed Dec 21 19:12:02 UTC 2022

Good Afternoon All,

I hope everyone is staying warm and dry this week as we experience unusual weather for South Carolina. Please see the President’s Notebook below. It contains a great dal of information that is useful in the coming weeks.

My Best,

Marty

From: President, National Federation of the Blind <OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2022 10:31 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 12/21/2022

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,

As the end of the 2022 Federation year draws to a close, I want to extend my gratitude for each of you for your service. Our leadership and staff are some of the most thoughtful, dedicated, innovative, and dynamic people I have ever met. This year has been a very good one for us but also a difficult one with a number of losses to our community.

I want to ask for your patience as we regroup on some of our work both because of the end-of-the-year holidays and because of the shuffling we need to do after losing our friend and colleague Scott LaBarre. I hope that each of you will take the time to relax, reflect, and re-energize. I am anticipating the opportunity to enjoy the family time fully.

We have many things we want to accomplish together for NFB in 2023. It is going to be an important time of opportunity and growth for the next generation of leaders in our movement. I am anticipating all that will come from our work together.

This will be our last notebook for 2023. The national office will be on limited staffing during the next week, but we will be up to full speed again on January 3, 2023. Please note that our offices are completely closed on December 26 and January 2.

Happy holiday wishes to you, and may your 2023 be personally rewarding.

Cheers to building NFB in '23!

Critical Actions:
Accessible COVID-19 Tests:
The federal government is once again making COVID-19 tests available to the public at no cost. Blind people can place one order (which will include twelve tests) for the accessible Ellume tests. Go to ACL.gov/COVIDtests/accessible<http://ACL.gov/COVIDtests/accessible> to access the ordering page. If you need to order these tests over the phone, call the Disability Information and Access Line at 888-677-1199.

January Presidential Release:
Mark your calendars for the first Presidential Release of 2023: Wednesday, January 4, at 8:00 p.m., eastern.
https://zoom.us/j/99278902407
Webinar ID: 992 7890 2407

News:
Scott LaBarre Celebration of Life:

A Celebration of Life to honor Scott will be held January 21, 2023, in Denver, Colorado, at 4:30 p.m., mountain time. Those wishing to participate in-person are asked to RSVP for planning purposes. Location details will be shared once the RSVP form is completed. Details on how to join virtually are coming soon.

RSVP for the Celebration of Life<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=28251&qid=8162718>

Help Us Meet Our End-of-Year Goals:
If you have already contributed, thank you so very much for your generosity. It is not too late. If you have not supported us financially yet, please consider an end-of-year gift. You can give in one of three ways:

1.       Visit our donate<https://nfb.org/donate> page.

2.       Call 410-659-9314, extension 2430, and contribute by phone.

3.       Mail a check to 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230.

If you are not in a position to support us financially, please consider sharing our messaging and asking friends and family to do so.

2023 Washington Seminar:
We are just six short weeks away from the 2023 Washington Seminar! The sound of hundreds of white canes tapping through the halls of Congress will be music to my ears after being virtual for the past two years. But before we get to Washington, DC, there is still plenty to do to prepare. First, be sure to attend the issues training session this Tuesday, December 20, at 8:00 p.m., eastern. The Zoom information for this training has been distributed, but if you do not have it, please contact Kyle Walls at kwalls at nfb.org<mailto:kwalls at nfb.org>. Tuesday’s training will be an in-depth discussion of our three Washington Seminar issues for 2023: the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act, the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act, and eliminating the SSDI earnings cliff.

US Senate Special Committee on Aging Report Regarding the Accessibility of Federal Technology:
On Tuesday, December 14, Senator Bob Casey (PA), the Chairman of the US Senate Special Committee on Aging, published a report authored by the committee titled Unlocking the Virtual Front Door. The report details the findings of an eleven-month investigation detailing “widespread failure across the federal government to ensure that federal technology is accessible for people with disabilities, older adults, and veterans.” The full report can be read on Senator Casey’s website<https://www.aging.senate.gov/press-releases/casey-investigation-details-widespread-failure-by-federal-government-to-ensure-web-accessibility-for-people-with-disabilities-older-adults-and-veterans>.

NFB-NEWSLINE Virtual Training Series:
We are creating a virtual training series for NFB-NEWSLINE® affiliate teams and are seeking your help! This is a great opportunity for a member who loves NFB-NEWSLINE or an enthusiastic member who is looking to build leadership skills. Please take a moment to appoint an NFB-NEWSLINE coordinator to represent your state affiliate. We do not want your state to be left out of this network. We will be reaching out soon to talk to you about your selection, even though you may have submitted a coordinator in past years. Bob Watson, our content manager, will be contacting you soon. For your reference, Bob’s email is bwatson at nfb.org<mailto:bwatson at nfb.org>, and he can be reached at our national headquarters, 410-659-9314, extension 2356. Please be prepared to submit the name, email address, and phone number for your state’s coordinator and take pride in knowing you are doing your part to build NFB-NEWSLINE in your state.

Where the Blind Work:
Please join us on Thursday, January 19, 2023, at 8:00 p.m., eastern, to celebrate the work and accomplishments of blind and low-vision people with experience in the medical and healthcare field.

  *   Hear about what their typical day looks like.
  *   Hear how attitudinal and accessibility barriers are overcome at work.
  *   Learn about alternative techniques and strategies used to do these jobs.

Register at https://nfb.org/programs-services/employment/where-the-blind-work-webinars-registration.

Reminders:
Upcoming Deadline for 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 31: Deadline for assistance with updating member data
  *   January 4: World Braille Day <https://braille.day/>
  *   January 30: Great Gathering-In
  *   February 8: Open House, 8:00 p.m.
  *   March 2 and 5: Chapter Presidents Call, 8:00 p.m. (Scholarships)
  *   March 23: Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium
  *   May 10: Open House, 8:00 p.m.
  *   June 1 and 4: Chapter Presidents Call, 8:00 p.m. (Member Engagement and National Convention)
  *   July 1-6, 2023: National Convention; Houston, Texas
  *   August 9: Open House, 8:00 p.m.
  *   September 7 and 10: Chapter Presidents Call, 8:00 p.m. (Blind Equality Achievement Month)
  *   November 8: Open House, 8:00 p.m.
  *   December 7 and 10: Chapter Presidents Call, 8:00 p.m. (Planning the Year Ahead)

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.

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

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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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