[Nfbwv-talk] President Riccobono's Notebook for June 13, 2016

[Smyth, Charlene R]

June 13, 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,

Today the flag at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute flies at half-mast in solidarity with the rest of the country regarding the tragedy in Orlando this weekend. The challenges of world events continue to emphasize how fragile life can be. As we prepare to head to Orlando, I encourage each of us to keep those impacted by the events of this weekend in our thoughts and prayers. I also encourage us to recognize that fear is too often used by others to control our actions and limit our freedom. In the National Federation of the Blind, we continue to spread love and hope, and I urge us to bring that spirit to Orlando in an even greater measure this year.

With humility and hope, I look forward to being with you in Orlando in a couple of weeks.

Critical Actions This Week:
Give a High Five in Support of the Rights of Blind Parents:
During this month we are inviting others to participate in our initiative to support resources for, and the rights of, blind parents to raise their children by simply giving us a high five. Your donation of $5 (or multiples thereof) to the National Federation of the Blind can help keep families together. Keep an eye on our blog<http://www.nfb.org/vonb-blog> to learn more. Please help to promote this important work of the Federation for Father's Day.



We Need Stories:
We are collecting stories about your experience accessing internet content on state and local government websites as part of our coordinated effort to provide comments regarding the recent Supplemental Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking<https://www.ada.gov/regs2016/sanprm.html> issued by the Department of Justice.



State and local websites offer a variety of programs and services including information about voter registration, applications for state IDs, community calendars, permits, public school activities, and registration for classes at colleges and universities, just to name a few examples. Please visit nfb.org/TitleIISANPRM<https://nfb.org/TitleIISANPRM>, follow the directions there, and send us your stories as soon as you can but no later than July 15, 2016. You can also get in touch with Kyle Walls here at the NFB Jernigan Institute at kwalls at nfb.org<mailto:kwalls at nfb.org> to submit your story or to get more information about our coordinated effort. Your comments will be shared with the Department of Justice and will be published on www.regulations.gov<http://www.regulations.gov>.





News:
Blood Drive at Convention:
I thought it would be timely to mention that we have been planning a blood drive to be held at our convention in Orlando. As you may know, there is a current demand for blood in the Orlando community. Join the National Federation of the Blind Sports and Rec Division and WE Fit Wellness on June 30 at the NF-BE Healthy Fair for our first-ever OneBlood convention blood drive. OneBlood will be taking donations from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Sebastian Ballroom J, Level 1. While you are there, climb the rock wall, learn to sword fight, bang on some cardio drums, and much more.



New York Voter Registration Lawsuit
The National Federation of the Blind, the Center for Independence of the Disabled, and individual blind plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the New York State Board of Elections and the Department of Motor Vehicles. The complaint charges that their online voter registration is inaccessible to people with disabilities.



Videos:
A video will be released Friday, June 17, in honor of Father's Day. It can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiDrUAU_Ti0.


This week's video is currently available. Julie McGinnity explains how attending and hearing the thousands of cane taps at an NFB National Convention changed her life at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp7pVyNwzvM,



Dates to Keep in Mind:

*        May 23-August 26, 2016: NFB BELL Academy held at forty-six sites throughout the nation. More information at https://nfb.org/bell-academy.

*        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 2-6: NFB EQ teacher cohort

*        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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