[Nfbwv-talk] President Riccobono's Notebook for May 2, 2016

[Smyth, Charlene R]

Sorry for the delay in getting this to all of you.  I have been doing some traveling for meetings and conferences both this week and last week which has put me a little behind on things.

May 2, 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,

This past weekend our national scholarship committee met to select the thirty finalists for our 2016 scholarship program. The applications make it clear that some affiliates do a great job of promoting the scholarship program, resulting in applicants and potential new members for the organization. I recommend that affiliate leaders evaluate the methods being used to promote our national programs to find opportunities to broaden the outreach. If you have suggestions for tools that would assist in this effort, please let me know. Thank you for all you do to build our organization.



News:

Uber Settlement:
The settlement resolves a lawsuit to ensure that guide-dog users have full and equal access to vehicles in the Uber network. This is the first nationwide class-action settlement of its kind against an app-based transportation network company. Uber has agreed to take affirmative steps to tell drivers about their obligations to transport riders who are disabled and use service animals. Uber will require that existing and new drivers expressly confirm that they understand their legal obligations to transport riders with guide dogs or other service animals. Uber will also implement stricter enforcement policies-Uber will remove a driver from the platform upon a single complaint if Uber finds that the driver knowingly denied a person with a disability a ride because the person was traveling with a service animal. In addition, if Uber receives complaints that a driver denied a person a ride because of a service animal on more than one occasion, the driver will permanently be removed from the Uber platform regardless of the driver's intent.


Another Delay in the Internet Regs:
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it will further delay issuing regulations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and instead seek further comments from the public on what those regulations should contain. The original Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking expressing the intent to issue regulations was published on July 26, 2010. This is the DOJ's second recent announcement<http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/civil-rights/266943-inequality-and-indifference> of a delay relating to the issuance of ADA regulations on internet access.



Blind Parents Webpages:

Later this week we will be going live with our new webpages for blind parents. Watch for details.


Video:
In this week's video<https://youtu.be/QWkoJNmrpxw>, Alyas Omeed discusses how he did not let the low expectations of others stop him from pursuing his education and independence.





Dates to Keep in Mind:

*        May 17-20: BLAST, Chicago

*        May 19-21: NFB STEM2U Minneapolis

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

*        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 7: NFB EQ teacher application deadline, https://nfb.org/nfb-eq-teacher-application

*        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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