[NFBV-Historic-Fredericksburg] Important notice

Wed Apr 1 03:10:50 UTC 2020

Dear historic Fredericksburg chapter members,

I hope this email finds all of you well, healthy, and safe. There has been a lot going on and I want to ensure that all of you are able to stay in the loop.

Virginia lock down: the state of Virginia is currently in lockdown. Residents are advised not to leave their homes except for necessary errands such as bank or pharmacy pick up, grocery shopping, brief outings for fresh air or exercising, or otherwise specified by your career position. Gathering of more than 10 people is prohibited and will be fined.
Walkathon canceled: our annual walkathon which was scheduled for April 18 is canceled. We will reschedule at a future date.
April’s meeting: we will have a virtual zoom meeting on April 18 at 10 AM. The agenda will consist of updated information from our national board, reconnecting with one another, allowing members to ask any questions of our local chapter board for specific information and resources pertaining to The Fredericksburg community, and sharing tips and ideas on how best to get through this as a unified family. Please be on the lookout for a future email containing details on how to join in on our virtual zoom chapter meeting.
Accessible information on coronavirus: our affiliate president Tracy Soforenko has been working diligently to ensure that all public information pertaining to the coronavirus is as accessible to us as our sighted counterparts. If you have come across any resources that you have tried to utilize and gathering information and were unable to do so due to accessibility issues please reach out to him for assistance.(Tracy.soforenko at gmail.com) you can visit the The DHRM website for accessible executive orders and current virus updates. (https://www.dhrm.virginia.gov/) the national Federation of the blind homepage has information on how The quarantine is impacting the blind community as well as resources specifically aimed towards aiding blind citizens. (https://www.nfbv.org/)If you are concerned that you are showing symptoms of the virus, please contact your personal health care provider for guidance. At this time there is no discernible way of aiding non drivers to drive thru testing facilities. For further assistance, please call Virginia 211
News line: For those of you who currently have access to the NFB newsline, daily update about the coronavirus are available. If you do not currently have access to newsline, but would like to have it, please contact John Halverson. (john50 at verizon.net)
Absentee ballot voting: state elections are coming up and there is talk of the government asking us to vote using printed mailed out absentee ballot voting slips. We currently do not have any definite solution for how the blind will independently vote using this method, but communication lines have been opened to discuss the possibility of there being an online option. If you would like to investigate this matter further please call Virginia 211.
2020 census: if you have not already completed the 2020 US census, it is encouraged that you try to complete it by the end of this week. To access assistance in filling out the form, please visit the website (https://2020census.gov/?cid=20403:%2Bcensus2020%20%2Borg:sem.ga:p:dm:en:&utm_source=sem.ga&utm_medium=p&utm_campaign=dm:en&utm_content=20403&utm_term=%2Bcensus2020%20%2Borg) or call (1-844-330-2020). Please bear in mind that the phone assistance is only available between the hours of 7 AM and 2 PM. Also, you do not need your 12 digit census ID number to gain assistance from a phone operator, they will be able to help using your address.
Education assistance and resources: for any blind student, or blind parents assisting their sighted child in their education during this crisis, resources have been put in place on the Virginia student webpage. Please visit (https://nabslink.org/). Also click the link for information on COVID-19 educational resources.
Travel and grocery shopping resources: for information and resources on how best to travel or manage your grocery shopping please visit the NFBV website. (https://www.nfbv.org/) here you will find resources to help in your day-to-day life and Assist you in keeping as much of your needs virtual and online as possible.
April presidential release: please join us on Thursday, April 2 for a zoom virtual presidential release where our national president Mark Riccobono will be addressing the organization’s efforts during this crisis. There will be an opportunity for members to ask questions of our national board Please visit (https://www.nfbv.org/) for all details pertaining to this event.
DBVI and VRCBVI: department of blind and visually impaired have presently disbanded all face-to-face interaction between its counselors and clients. Anyone who receives assistance and training from this resource will be contacted by their respective instructors For check ins, advice, and support. Currently the Virginia resource center for the blind and visually impaired located in Richmond is closed. Virtual resources will be available to the blind community at large and subsequent emails Related to these resources will be sent out in due course. DBVI is currently working with all school system districts who are in possession of adaptive technology, textbooks, and other additional resources to account for all Provided equipment. They will not at this time reclaim any of these materials. Furthermore, the library resource center is still distributing digital book cartridges via mail. Please be assured that with every return the cartridges and Cases are thoroughly disinfected before going to the next recipient. To stay up-to-date with DBVI please follow them on Facebook, Where daily posts are updated.

I know this is a hard and stressful time for many of us. Please remember that social distancing does not equal social isolation. Your Fredericksburg NFB family is here to support you. Please feel free to reach out if you are in need of anything, even if that is just a conversation with another human being.

I hope you all stay safe and well, and I look forward to hearing from all of you at our next monthly chapter meeting. 

Sincerely,

Brittany Ingram
President of the national Federation of the blind historic Fredericksburg chapter
Phone number: (540) 940-4833
Email: Brittany.e.crone at gmail.com

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