[NFBV-Announce] The Vigilant, Holiday Edition

Thu Dec 24 18:12:07 UTC 2020

The Vigilant: Holiday Edition

Joe Orozco, Editor

>From the President's Desk

NFBV Family,

As we approach the end of this difficult year, there is such a mix of
emotions. The holidays are upon us, and yet we find ourselves facing the
need to challenge our spirit of ingenuity and resiliency yet again.

First, we wish to extend our hearts to those who are feeling the loss of a
loved one from COVID19. Please know that you are in the thoughts and prayers
of your Federation Family members and are not alone. 

Next, we want to acknowledge that whether you have suffered directly or
indirectly, this has not been an easy year for any of us. Many of us have
had to face a great deal of challenges, and some of us are still struggling
to figure out our new normal. You are not alone. Your Federation Family is
here to support and aid you. With all that said, let us explore a few
observations.

No matter what Holiday you are enjoying, there are three attributes that
cross religious and cultural lines that I have witnessed each of you
demonstrate throughout this year and that I hope resonate with your annual
festivities.

I have seen an incredible amount of faith serge in the affiliate. Whether it
is based in religious foundations, universal karmic energy, or the basic
decency and resiliency of human nature; we have been able to face the
hardships of this year with faith driving us to reach out to one another,
find solutions to our individual and collective problems, and maintain a
positive and encouraging attitude. I hope that this spirit of faith
continues to propel us towards a brighter new year. 

Likewise, from the fountain of faith I've seen an outpouring of love.
Members reaching out even beyond the Virginia Affiliate to try and help ease
the burdens of their friends, family members, and Federation associates. As
an affiliate we have been able to strive even further to include those who
may have previously been feeling excluded, and I hope we have been able to
convey a message of love and acceptance, something I hope  is not only heard
but felt by every member in our Virginia Family. It is my hope that each of
you will feel the expansive arms of the NFBV surround you this Holiday
Season and know that you belong with people who truly desire to know you and
see you live the life you deserve to live to your best ability. 

While on this point, I want to acknowledge a few bright examples of service
to one another. I'm thinking of Joe Hobson, who saw that a talking traffic
signal was not working near the home of a friend and devoted weeks of
advocacy until the county fixed the issue. I'm thinking of Stewart Prost and
his wife Debbie, who did not let COVID stop them from providing food and
transportation assistance to a Federation member from out of state who
required surgery. I'm thinking of the handful of members who stepped up when
one of our leaders found herself with unexpected emergency vet bills for her
guide dog. These are just a few manifestations of love I know course through
our affiliate veins and largely what makes us family.

And, finally, I have seen joy from you. Despite the virus, the election,
civil unrest, and a myriad of personal challenges, you have risen above it
all and shown yourselves to be true examples of what it means to thrive in
spite of them. We have come together in virtual meetings and activities and
have lifted one another, laughed with one another, and supported one
another. And as we look around this Holiday Season, though heavy hearted
with all that has happened, we can lift our heads with joy and pride knowing
that we are people who cannot be held down. 

My dear friends, I hope your Holidays are filled with each of these
characteristics. I am truly grateful to serve you, and to be apart of such a
steadfast and inspiring group of individuals. Happy Holidays, and a very
Happy New Year. The road ahead will not be an easy one. Difficult
conversations will continue to be had until we find better versions of
ourselves, but with you, I am confident 2021 will be a better year for all.

With love,

Tracy Soforenko, President

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

Quotation of the Moment

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on
them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New
Year's Day." -Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Announcing the CLI Library

By Joe Orozco

After months ... Okay, maybe it was more like a year, of talking about how I
was going to make it happen, I finally found the time to make it work. I
took materials previously produced by some of our excellent leaders and
compiled them into what I feel will be an excellent start to any new, or
existing, chapter leader's essential library.

The CLI Library <http://nfbv.org/cli_library>  features articles, guides,
samples, templates, and audio content. It provides model documents for
things like proclamations, constitutions, secretary minutes, treasurer
reports, parliamentary rules, and many other resources that will assist in
the running of a local chapter.

If you take a look and find there are missing materials, please let me know.

The CLI Library comes as part of a refresh to the CLI pages. CLI
participants can navigate there and find important calendar dates, current
homework assignments, and of course the reading list. The hope is that the
resource will serve as a great reference for chapter presidents who want to
be kept updated on current developments in the CLI program.

Give it a look, and please feel free to provide feedback. You can access the
CLI Library at:

http://nfbv.org/cli_library

The Best of the Rest

Here are a few items of note:

Presidential Report:

If you missed our state convention, take a moment to read Tracy
<http://nfbv.org/blog_2020_presidential_report> 's Presidential Report here.

Scribe for Meetings:

As the world continues to move to a virtual environment, you need an
affordable solution that guarantees full access to everyone in your
audience. Pneuma Solutions, the global leader in accessible cloud solutions,
introduces Scribe for Meetings! The goal is to make the on-screen content in
your online meetings and webinars accessible to print-impaired participants
in as easy a manner as possible. Try it out today
<https://scribeformeetings.com/> !

New NVDA Beta Available:

Beta2 of NVDA 2020.4 is now available for download and testing. For anyone
who is interested in trying out what the next version of NVDA has to offer
before it is officially released, we welcome you to download the beta
<https://www.nvaccess.org/post/nvda-2020-4beta2/>  and provide feedback.

Webinar on JAWS and Zoom:

If your holiday decorations are still up, they are not going anywhere. Leave
the cleanup for another day and join Elizabeth Whitaker and the Vispero team
to identify how you and your students can make use of the new features in
JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion in 2021. Jan 12, 2021 11:30 AM Eastern. Register
here <https://aph.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_a5mVxelLRraLJA6wEUlBYg> .

2020 Annual Aira Explorer Survey:

This annual survey is available from Tuesday, December 22nd until Thursday,
December 31st. It is expected to take no longer than ten to fifteen minutes
to complete. If you would like to use an Aira agent to complete the survey,
an Aira Access Offer is available under "Promotions". The survey itself is
anonymous unless you choose to share your identity. You may complete the
survey here
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVy83qW5sl2KuYzW7CmgPnzWOpnr03zNt
-azRPAf-LgVjuNg/viewform> .

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