[Nfbwv-talk] President Riccobono's Notebook for February 15, 2016

[Smyth, Charlene R]

February 15, 2016
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,

Yesterday was Presidents' Day so let me take this opportunity to thank our presidents for all of the hours of work, boundless energy, and stimulating imagination you put into our organization. It is truly an honor to serve with individuals who are willing to bring their diverse perspectives to a place of mutually beneficial organizational policy. I sometimes talk about how important it is to be shaped by the members around us even as we help to shape them. I feel blessed that you continue to shape my work on a daily basis.

As you will notice by the number of items below, we are on the move in February. Please continue to find opportunities to encourage people to apply for our scholarship program, nominate people or organizations for Bolotin Awards, recognize outstanding teachers, and apply for our summer programs. The more connections we make with others, the stronger we make the organization.

Let me also acknowledge that one of our presidents, Rick Reed of Wyoming, has been in the hospital. We should continue to keep Rick in our thoughts and prayers.

News:
Marrakesh Treaty:
Last week President Obama transmitted the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled treaty to the United States Senate for ratification. The Marrakesh Treaty was officially proposed in 2009, successfully adopted in June 2013 by the World Intellectual Property Organization, and signed by the United States in October 2013. For more information on the treaty, please visit https://nfb.org/marrakeshfactsheet.



Access to Absentee Ballots:
We learned last week that the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Judicial Circuit upheld the ruling in National Federation of the Blind et al. vs. Linda H. Lamone et al. requiring the state of Maryland to make an accessible online ballot-marking tool available to blind voters who wished to vote by absentee ballot.



Medicare and Medicaid Lawsuit:
We have filed a federal lawsuit charging the US Department of Health and Human Services through its sub-agency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and its CMS sub-contractors, with systemically violating the civil rights of blind Medicare recipients. The action seeks to require HHS to provide blind individuals meaningful and equally effective access to their Medicare information. More information is available in the press release.<https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-and-disability-advocates-charge-federal-health-agency-civil-rights>



Reminders:

Braille Book Fair:
We have started collecting donated books for this year's Braille Book Fair. Please encourage members to ship (via Free Matter for the Blind) their gently used, but no longer needed, Braille books to:

2016 Braille Book Fair

National Federation of the Blind

200 East Wells St. at Jernigan Place

Baltimore, MD 21231



We Need Foreign Language Assistance:
We need help with our efforts to add languages to the KNFB Reader. If you speak Russian, Greek, Czech, Bulgarian, Estonian, Ukrainian, or Indonesian; use a supported iOS device; and are able to help; please send an email to support at knfbreader.com<mailto:support at knfbreader.com>. Please specify "Beta Testing" in the subject of the message.



Dates to keep in mind:

*        March 3-5: NFB STEM2U San Francisco

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

*        March 31-April 1: 2016 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium<https://nfb.org/law-symposium>; Diversity in the Disability Rights Movement: Working Together to Achieve the Right to Live in the World

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

*        May 1: Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award application deadline

*        May 17-20: BLAST, Chicago

*        May 19-21: NFB STEM2U Minneapolis

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

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

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

*        August 18-25: WBU and ICEVI General Assembly, Rosen Centre, Orlando, Florida, www.wbu-icevi2016.org<http://www.wbu-icevi2016.org>


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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