<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>January 27, 2016<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Memo To: Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents & Others<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From: Frank Coppel, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Positive Note 1537 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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!<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>