[Nfbwv-talk] President Riccob ono's Notebook

Wed Nov 25 14:21:32 UTC 2015

November 24, 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,

Happy Thanksgiving!

Critical actions this week:

The NFB Jernigan Institute will be closed this Thursday and Friday so that our staff can enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend with their families and friends.

Please be sure you have seen Danielle Trevino's message posted to the state presidents' listserv about the upcoming seminar to teach the essential elements of planning and executing a successful affiliate convention. Note the deadline for attendee nominations is December 10, 2015. You can email nominations and suggestions for topics to Danielle at dtrevino at nfb.org<mailto:dtrevino at nfb.org>.

News:

Scribd Collaboration:
We have agreed to work with Scribd, Inc. to provide access to and make content that is available in their website and their subscription reading service accessible to the blind by the end of 2017. Available on desktop and mobile devices, Scribd's service provides users access to ebooks, audiobooks and other published content for a flat monthly fee. As part of an agreement between our organizations, Scribd will rearchitect its website to make most subscription content compatible with screen access software for the blind. Scribd will also facilitate access to other types of documents in its collection when requested by blind users.

Disability Rights Ohio Complaint:

Three Disability Rights Ohio (DRO) clients are asking for fair pay from Seneca Re-Ads, a sheltered workshop run by the County Board of Developmental Disabilities in Seneca County. The employees' work duties include cutting and assembling samples for flooring company Roppe Industries, a private corporation. Through a novel and potentially precedent-setting procedure, the three DRO clients have asked the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to review their claims. The petition<http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/u62/Seneca_Re-Ad_ALJ_Petition_SIGNED.pdf>, which we support, requests that USDOL review the clients' wages and the means by which the current wages were set.

KNFB Reader Android Version & Integration with Dropbox:

The KNFB Reader app for the Android platform is now available. In addition, both versions (Android and iOS) are now integrated with the popular file storage, sharing, and collaboration platform, Dropbox. When users scan a document with the KNFB Reader, it can be instantly saved in a Dropbox folder tied to the user's account. Users can even retrieve documents from Dropbox after they are deleted from their smart phone or other device.

ADA Regulations:
This article<http://www.natlawreview.com/article/us-department-justice-further-delays-ada-title-iii-rulemaking-website-accessibility> gives a disappointing update that the ADA regulations for Title III and the internet are not expected to move until 2018. There is much work for us to do.

Reminders:
Amazon Smile:
Help increase donations to the National Federation of the Blind this shopping season by signing up on Smile.Amazon.com<http://smile.amazon.com/> and identifying the National Federation of the Blind as the charity you would like to receive the donation. We will receive 5 percent of every purchase made at Smile.Amazon.com<http://smile.amazon.com/>. More information can be found at About AmazonSmile<https://smile.amazon.com/about/?ref=spkl_2_2_1960962002&ie=UTF8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-auto-sparkle&pf_rd_r=1FGHB6NTYVVSQQDYX08G&pf_rd_p=1960962002&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_i=amazon%20smile%20program&qid=1418243450>.
In order for us to get a percentage, you need to be logged into and shop at Smile.Amazon.com<http://smile.amazon.com/>. If you shop at amazon.com<http://amazon.com/> (instead of Smile.Amazon.com<http://smile.amazon.com/>), no donation is made. Products, reviews, and prices are the same between Amazon.com<http://amazon.com/> and Smile.Amazon.com<http://smile.amazon.com/> for those products sold through both sites; sometimes Smile.Amazon.com<http://smile.amazon.com/> will not have a produce your will find on Amazon.com<http://amazon.com/>.
Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Program:
The award program will be accepting nominations through April 15, 2016.
Dates to keep in mind:

*         December 10-13, 2015: BELL Seminar

*         January 25-28, 2016: Washington Seminar, https://nfb.org/washington-seminar

*         March 3-5, 2016: NFB STEM2U San Francisco

*         March 31, 2016: NFB Scholarship Program application deadline, https://nfb.org/scholarships

*         April 15, 2016: Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Program nomination deadline, https://nfb.org/bolotin-award-main

*         May 17-20, 2016: BLAST, Chicago

*         May 19-21, 2016: NFB STEM2U Minneapolis

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

*         June 30-July 5: National Federation of the Blind Convention, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, Florida

*         July 31-August 6, 2016 NFB EQ (second iteration)

*         August 18-25: WBU and ICEVI General Assembly, Rosen Centre, Orlando, Florida

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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