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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Good evening all!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>In the event you don’t already receive the below email from president </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Mark Riccobono, I wanted to forward it to you as it contains important information that is time sensitive, particularly, the urgent call to contact Congress regarding the blind tax exemption currently under consideration as part of tax reform efforts on the Hill. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Brian Miller<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Greater Alexandria Chapter <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>NFB of Virginia<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:whitesmoke'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> <a href="mailto:OfficeOfThePresident@nfb.org" title="OfficeOfThePresident@nfb.org">President, National Federation of the Blind</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:whitesmoke'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>Sent:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> Monday, November 06, 2017 12:04 PM<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:whitesmoke'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>To:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> <a href="mailto:OfficeOfThePresident@nfb.org" title="OfficeOfThePresident@nfb.org">President, National Federation of the Blind</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:whitesmoke'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>Subject:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> NFB President’s Notebook - week of 11/06/2017<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><h1><a name="ole_link7"></a><a name="ole_link8"></a><a name="ole_link9"><span style='color:black'>President’s Notebook<o:p></o:p></span></a></h1><h1><span style='color:black'>National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1><span style='color:black'>Mark A. Riccobono<o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1><a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">officeofthepresident@nfb.org</a><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1><span style='color:black'>(410) 659-9314<o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Dear Fellow Federationists,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>I wish to call your attention to a very pressing item today. There is immediate need to get the word out about the elimination of the blind exemption in the tax proposals that are moving on Capitol Hill now. Please take a moment to call Congress, distribute the call-to-action to other members, and encourage our members to make calls as soon as possible. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>There were many affiliate conventions this weekend. I want to thank the NFB of Connecticut for their hospitality this weekend. I also wish to acknowledge the nearly two decades of service that Jim Antonacci gave as president of our Pennsylvania affiliate. This past weekend, Jim successfully passed the torch of leadership to Lynn Heitz. Thank you to Jim and welcome to Lynn. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>The 2018 National Convention will be held from July 3-8 at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando Florida. We are seeking an affiliate or a team of affiliates to serve as our host committee for 2018. If you are interested, please reach out to me as soon as possible. More details about the convention will appear in the December <i>Braille Monitor</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><h2><span style='color:black'>Critical Actions This Week:<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='color:black'>Action Needed Regarding the Proposed Tax Bill:<br>The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (H.R. 1) was introduced last Thursday, November 2, in the United States House of Representatives. Beginning in tax year 2018, this bill will repeal the standard deduction for blind people valued at $6,350 for the 2017 tax year. Please call your representative and urge him or her to maintain this critical tax deduction for the blind as soon as possible. The House Ways and Means Committee begins mark up on this bill today, Monday, November 6. The best way to contact your member of Congress is to call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for the office in question. Emailing your member of Congress is also a good idea. If you do so, please copy <a href="mailto:JPare@nfb.org">JPare@nfb.org</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><h2><span style='color:black'>News:<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='color:black'>Presidential Release:<br>The November release is available at <a href="https://nfb.org/presidential-releases">https://nfb.org/presidential-releases</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='color:black'>NFB Scholarship Program:<br>We are accepting scholarship applications from November 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018. This annual program offers thirty scholarships worth from $3,000 to $12,000 to eligible students, from high school seniors beginning their freshman year in the fall semester of 2017, up through graduate students working on their PhD degrees. Go to <a href="http://www.nfb.org/scholarships">www.nfb.org/scholarships</a> for complete rules and requirements.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='color:black'>Santa Letter Program:<br>Santa’s coming, Santa’s coming, and he’s sending Braille letters to children all over the country. That’s right it’s the time of the year for the NFB Santa Letter Program. Beginning next Monday, November 13, parents can submit an application for their young blind child to receive a Braille letter from Santa. This letter also comes with a coloring page, a recipe, a craft, and song lyrics. The print for each of these items is sent along as well. Once the program is open, you will be able to apply at <a href="https://nfb.org/santa-letters">https://nfb.org/santa-letters</a>. The program runs until December 15. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='color:black'>Tactile Art Program:<br>As of October 27, 2017, we have had 415 applicants for the Tactile Art Program, with at least a quarter of those participants completing the pre-survey as well. We hope to have five hundred tactile art kits out by the end of the year. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='color:black'>Independence Market Closures:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='color:black'>The Independence Market will be closed Friday, November 10, and Monday, November 13. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='color:black'>NAPUB Call:<br>The National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) is pleased to announce its first telephone conference/presentation/discussion on issues surrounding Braille in the United States. On Thursday, November 9, NAPUB will be pleased to have Curtis Chong share his experiences with the Orbit Reader 20. The Orbit Reader 20 is a twenty-cell, eight-dot refreshable Braille display. The call will take place at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 p.m. Mountain, 5:00 p.m. Pacific. The call-in information is (605) 472-5772, code 154426#. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:windowtext;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'>BRAL Contest:<br>The NFB of Illinois, in partnership with the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) is pleased to extend the 2017-18 Braille Readers Are Leaders (BRAL) contest to any NFB affiliate that wishes to participate. If your affiliate submits $100 to the NFBI, an unlimited number of children in your state can enter the contest. The kids can start reading on December 15, so that amount should be received by the NFBI before that date. Contact Patti Chang at </span><a href="mailto:pattischang@gmail.com"><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:windowtext;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'>pattischang@gmail.com</span></a><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:windowtext;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'> for transaction details. The NFB of Illinois will take care of the administrative details for the contest, including providing and mailing out all prizes. Each participating affiliate, however, will be responsible for publicizing the contest within its own state. </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The complete contest rules, registration form, and the reading log form will be available by November 8 on the website, </span><span class=MsoHyperlink><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.nfbofillinois.org">http://www.nfbofillinois.org</a></span></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='color:black'>Autonomous Vehicle Summit:<br>On Wednesday, October 25, we hosted a meeting of automakers, advocates, disability organizations, and ride-sharing providers regarding the development of autonomous vehicles. The intention of the meeting, titled “The Promise: Autonomous Vehicles and the Disability Community” was to reinforce the necessity that these future cars be made accessible to all people, especially those with disabilities. As stated in a <a href="https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-and-automakers-host-conference-promise-autonomous-vehicles-and-disability">joint press release from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the NFB</a>: “Autonomous vehicles offer disabled Americans opportunities for increased mobility and independence, as well as reliable transportation that could vastly increase employment opportunities.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>