[Nfbwv-talk] President Riccobono's Notebook for March 7, 2016

Wed Mar 9 14:43:06 UTC 2016

March 7, 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,

There are a number of time-sensitive items below.

News:
March Presidential Release:
The March release has been posted to the presidential releases page, https://nfb.org/presidential-releases.

Amazon Agreement:

We signed an agreement with Amazon wherein they agree to collaborate with us on improvements to their educational content, platforms, and applications, and meet with us on an ongoing basis to review progress and exchange ideas and feedback. Initial results of this collaboration are expected this year.

Space Available Legislation:
We continue to see movement in our Space Available legislation. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) has introduced S. 2596:  the Disabled Veterans Access to Space-A Travel Act. This is the companion bill to H.R. 2264, which will allow all 100 percent service-disabled veterans to access the Space Available Program.  Senator Tester (D-MT) was an originating cosponsor. Please encourage your senators to cosponsor S. 2596.

The Power of Love:
The ebook version of The Power of Love: How Kenneth Jernigan Changed the World for the Blind is now available from iUniverse<http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-001055364/The-Power-of-Love.aspx>, Amazon<http://www.amazon.com/Power-Love-Kenneth-Jernigan-Changed/dp/1491784512/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457367764&sr=8-1&keywords=the+power+of+love+jernigan>, and other booksellers for $9.99.

Ridesharing Dialogue:
Ridesharing apps like Lyft and Uber are providing access to safe, reliable, and affordable transportation to many of our members. However, we continue to have difficulty with the accessibility of the apps, and are working to address the discrimination against guide dog users. In order to begin a dialogue with the major providers, we hosted focus groups of blind users of the Lyft and Uber apps during our 2015 National Convention. We are seeking to have an ongoing dialogue with our members who use the service in order to provide real-life user feedback to these companies in order to foster greater accessibility and accountability. We will start with monthly calls, and will be establishing a listserv for ongoing interaction. If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please send an email to Jerniganinstitute at nfb.org<mailto:Jerniganinstitute at nfb.org> with the subject line "Ridesharing Focus Group."

6 Dot Dash:
Our fourth annual National Federation of the Blind 6 Dot Dash will be held on Sunday, June 5, at 8:00 a.m. at the NFB Jernigan Institute. The NFB 6 Dot Dash is our annual 6K race that helps raise funds to support the programs and projects that help blind people live the lives they want. Please encourage your family members and friends to register as runners, virtual runners, race team members, or to simply make a donation by visiting https://nfb.org/dot-dash.

NOPBC Call:
Please join host Melissa Riccobono for our next National Organization of Parents of Blind Children family information call on Wednesday, March 16, 8:00-9:00 p.m. eastern. Call in: (712) 770-4010; access code: 869-131. I will join the call to give my perspective on the value of the national convention for all members of families of blind children. We will also be joined by a parent of a blind child who will share her experiences as a newcomer to the national convention in 2015.

Reminders:
Summer Internship Program - Deadline Approaching!:
As we continue to raise expectations of and for the blind, we realize that we must actively work to empower the next generation of dynamic leaders and innovative thinkers that will dream, develop, and implement the next ground-breaking project or program that changes the lives of all blind people. We seek to accomplish this goal through our National Federation of the Blind Summer Internship program, a unique learning experience that can only be directed by the National Federation of the Blind. The deadline for applying to be a 2016 NFB summer intern is this Friday, March 11. For more information about the program and the application process visit: https://nfb.org/blog/vonb-blog/national-federation-blind-2016-summer-internship-program.

Scholarship Deadline Approaching:
See the attached document for more information. Please forward this announcement to the members in your affiliate so that we can find the best candidates for the 2016 scholarship class.
Affiliates:
Find Your Fit Seminar:
The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado would like to invite you to attend their second annual Find Your Fit Seminar on Saturday, May 7, 2016, from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. This high energy, hands-on seminar offers something for everyone. Visit http://wefitwellness.com/services/findyourfit/ for more information and COME FIND YOUR FIT!

Dates to keep in mind:

*        March 11: Deadline to apply for NFB Summer Internship program.

*        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

*        April 15: Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund deadline, https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm16/bm1603/bm160310.htm.

*        April 25: NFB EQ student application deadline, https://nfb.org/nfb-eq-form

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

*        May 17-20: BLAST, Chicago

*        May 19-21: NFB STEM2U Minneapolis

*        May 21-26: International Council on English Braille 6th General Assembly

*        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/>

This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the individuals or entities originally addressed, and may contain confidential and privileged information protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, distribution, copying, or action taken in relation to the contents of this email is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copy or printout.