[Nfbwv-talk] President Mark Riccobono's Notebook

Wed Feb 25 18:54:45 UTC 2015

President's Notebook
National Federation of the Blind
Mark A. Riccobono
officeofthepresident at nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>
(410) 659-9314
Dear Fellow Federationists,
This is the time of year when many of our affiliates are starting to deal with legislative matters in their state legislatures. It is critical that our members get to be known at the local level, just as we are known at the federal level. Many affiliates have strong programs to engage with state policymakers. I encourage you to reach out to your colleagues if you have a need to build up this area of influence in your state. As you will see below, our affiliate in Arizona had a good victory last week. Our affiliates in Maryland, Utah, and a number of other states are advancing bills in their legislatures. Let's continue to be that strong consistent voice in our states bringing the understanding and expertise that is the National Federation of the Blind.
News:
Scribd Hearing:
In July 2014, the National Federation of the Blind and Heidi Viens, a blind parent from Colchester, Vermont, filed suit against Scribd, Inc. Scribd offers an Internet-based "personal digital library" that allows sighted subscribers to access a collection of over 40 million titles. You can read our full press release about the lawsuit athttps://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-files-suit-against-scribd. A critically important hearing in this case will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at1:30 p.m. at the US District Court in Burlington, Vermont. If you are able to attend, or would like more information on attending, please contact Chris Danielsen at 410-659-9314, extension 2330, or viacdanielsen at nfb.org<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>.
508 Refresh:
On Wednesday, February 18, the Access Board will publish online the long-anticipated Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NRPM) to update the Section 508 standards for electronic and information technology used by the federal government. The official NRPM will run in the Federal Register shortly after, followed by a ninety-day public comment period and public hearings on March 5 and March 11. Countless entities use the 508 standards as a benchmark for accessibility, but the standards have not been updated since 2000. NFB has been involved in the refresh since it started in 2008, so we are eager to see the Access Board reach this long-overdue stage of the process. To read the proposed rule, visithttp://www.access-board.gov.
Videos:
Weren't able to attend our Washington Seminar? You can watch some of the highlights of our work on the Hill to ensure equality for the blind in our latest video2015 NFB Washington Seminar Recap<http://youtu.be/QusTv4RIolI>.
The National Federation of the Blind believes strongly in the importance of making more books in accessible formats available to blind people in America and throughout the world. The Marrakesh Treaty will help with this critically important initiative. Learn more about the treaty in our latestvideo<http://youtu.be/YKE2Xb-p5AI>.
Did you know?

Here's a victory to celebrate and also a great example of why we need to be active in our state legislatures:
Recently, the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona and other disability groups were alerted that an amended bill, which would have fundamentally altered Arizona's service animal law, was scheduled for a committee hearing in the Arizona House of Representatives.
The National Federation of the Blind of Arizona and several other disability groups reacted quickly and organized an effective response to the proposed legislation. NFBA has an active legislative committee, and along with members from the Tucson, Phoenix, and East Valley chapters and its new guide dog division appeared at the Arizona state capitol building prior to the start of the meeting in order to register as many people as possible to speak against the bill in the committee hearing. In addition, the legislative committee appealed to members that could not personally attend the meeting and asked them to email the committee chair and other committee members urging them to vote against the legislation.
Due to effective grass-roots advocacy by the NFBA and the other disability groups, this bill was defeated by a unanimous vote of 8 - 0. The committee members who commented on their votes cited the testimony given by the public as strongly influencing their votes.
Dates to keep in mind:

*         Spring affiliate conventions<https://nfb.org/state-conventions>

*         March 12-15, 2015: NFB STEM2U Boston (MA), Museum of Science

*         March 26-27, 2015: Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium

*         May 14-16, 2015: NFB STEM2U Columbus (OH), COSI

*         June 7, 2015: NFB 6 DOT DASH

*         July 5-10, 2015: 75th Annual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind

*         August 2-8, 2015: NFB STEM EQ

*         September 11-13, 2015: NFB STEM2U Leadership Academy

*         June 19-25, 2016: NFB EQ (first iteration)

*         July 31-August 6, 2016 (second iteration)
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
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Phone: (410) 659-9314
Fax: (410) 659-5129
Email:officeofthepresident at nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>
Twitter: @Riccobono and @NFB_Voice
Web:www.nfb.org<http://www.nfb.org/>
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