[Nfbwv-talk] President Riccobono's Notebook for 4/4/17

Thu Apr 6 15:19:58 UTC 2017

April 4, 2017
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 Opening Day! Baseball season is here and I always find that is a good indication that spring has come. It also marks the three-month countdown to our convention-the excitement is already building. Please send your ideas for convention program items as I will have to finalize the program in the next month.
As you will notice below, there is a lot happening as we roll into April. ICYMI (that is shorthand for in case you missed it), I encourage you to watch our new video on accessibility that was released on April 1<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCcbtijv8fE>.

Later this week we will be pushing out information on the Do You Dream in Color documentary (www.doyoudreamincolor.com<http://www.doyoudreamincolor.com/>). We will have information later this month to help affiliates put together screenings as educational and fundraising activities. I encourage each of you to learn about this documentary and consider how it fits into our broader educational initiatives.

You can also expect the April Presidential Release to be available within the next day.

I want you to know that I will be on the road next week (April 10-15) and will be difficult to reach. I am taking the family to Wisconsin and I hope to maximize my family time while there. Thus, please plan to tag me this week with anything we need to discuss; otherwise consider waiting until April 17. Of course Beth will be here and will know how to find me for any urgent matters. I am well aware that the Federation keeps marching forward so I plan to stay connected.

News:

2017 Blind Educator of the Year Award:
The Blind Educator of the Year Award pays tribute to a blind teacher whose exceptional classroom performance, notable community service, and uncommon commitment to the NFB merit national recognition. The award, including an appropriately inscribed plaque and a check for $1,000, is presented at the national convention. Nominations should be sent to Dr. Edward Bell, Director, PDRIB, via email to ebell at latech.edu<mailto:ebell at latech.edu>, or post mail to PDRIB, 1500 W. Barnett Springs Ave, Ruston, LA 71270. Letters of nomination must be accompanied by a copy of the nominee's current résumé and supporting documentation of community and Federation activity. All nomination materials must be in the hands of the committee chairman by May 1, 2017, to be considered for this year's award. For further information contact Edward Bell at (318) 257-4554 or ebell at latech.edu<mailto:ebell at latech.edu>. More information can be found in the Braille Monitor<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm16/bm1611/bm161116.htm>.

NFB Youth Slam T-Shirt Design Contest:
This summer we will hold the 2017 NFB Youth Slam<http://www.blindscience.org/nfb-youth-slam> on the tenth anniversary of the inaugural NFB Youth Slam We are seeking artists who can capture the excitement and energy of our Youth Slam program and design our official tenth anniversary T-shirt. The designs should reflect the brand personality of the National Federation of the Blind: inviting, powerful, innovative, and inspirational. The winner will receive special recognition and a reward.
1. Your design must include the National Federation of the Blind logo<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/files/nfb-logo-lg.jpg>.
2. Your design must include the text "Tenth Anniversary National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam."
3. Your design must be science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related.
4. All submissions should be in a high-resolution PDF or EPS file format with fonts converted to outlines.
5. Submit your designs online at our NFB Media Upload Form<https://nfb.org/media-upload-form> by the deadline, Friday, April 28, 2017. The winner will be announced in May.
The National Federation of the Blind reserves the right to choose a winner and make any alterations to the design such as color, image size, etc. For further information regarding copyright please refer to our media terms and conditions<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/files/nfbterms.doc>. Questions can be directed to STEM at nfb.org<mailto:STEM at nfb.org> by email or by phone at (410) 659-9314, extension 2418.

Supreme Court Decision Regarding Individuals with Disabilities Education Act:
Last week we were pleased to hear of the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. In his opinion, Chief Justice Roberts said, in part, "The goals may differ, but every child should have the chance to meet challenging objectives. This standard is more demanding than the 'merely more than de minimis' test applied by the Tenth Circuit. ... When all is said and done, a student offered an educational program providing 'merely more than de minimis' progress from year to year can hardly be said to have been offered an education at all." The full press release<https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-comments-united-states-supreme-court-decision-regarding-individuals> can be found on the NFB website.

Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017:
The Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017 was introduced in both houses of Congress (H.R. 1734, S. 732). The bill was introduced by Representatives David Young (R-IA) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) in the House and by Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) in the Senate. The legislation will establish a per-person individual refundable tax credit to be used over a multi-year period to offset the cost of access technology for blind people. Access technology includes items such as text-to-speech screen-access software and electronic Braille displays that blind people use to access computers, tablets, smartphones, and other devices, as well as digital content. More information can be found in the press release<https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-applauds-introduction-access-technology-affordability-act>.

AIM HIGH Act Introduced:
And, in other legislative news, the Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act of 2017, also known as the AIM HIGH Act (H.R. 1772) was introduced by Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN) and Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT). This act will promote instructional technology and content that are accessible to the blind and other students with print disabilities. The entire press release is available at https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-applauds-introduction-aim-high-act.

Lyft Press Release:
Yesterday we sent out a joint press release with Lyft announcing a collaborative effort to ensure reliable and equal service to individuals who are blind and use service animals. Also, Lyft announced the kick-off of their first Service Animal Month. Lyft also announced a new policy that clarifies that every Lyft rider who has a service animal must be accommodated, regardless of a driver's preferences or circumstances. The full text is available on the NFB website<https://nfb.org/lyft-and-national-federation-blind-announce-comprehensive-accessibility-improvements-lyft-riders-who>.

Kernel Books:

As an organization, we deeply value and treasure the real-life stories of hope and inspiration contained in our Kernel Book series. We are working on plans to repurpose these stories to make them more widely available in digital formats. We would like to get the existing copies in our storage facility out into the world and into the hands of those who would benefit from reading them. To that end, we are offering free cases on a first-come, first-served basis of the following Kernel Books published after 2000:

Oh, Wow

Safari

Reaching for the Top in the Land Down Under

Not Much of a Muchness

The Lessons of the Earth

Imagine

Celebrate

If you are interested in receiving a case of any of these titles, please contact Ellen Ringlein in the Independence Market at (410) 659-9314, extension 2216, or at independencemarket at nfb.org<mailto:independencemarket at nfb.org>.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

  *   Spring conventions<http://nfb.org/state-conventions>
  *   April 15, 2017: Deadline for Jacob Bolotin Award applications<https://nfb.org/bolotin-award-main>
  *   May 1, 2017: Deadline for Blind Educator of the Year Award
  *   May 1, 2017: Deadline for Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/distinguished-educator-of-blind-students-award-form-fillable.pdf>
  *   June 4, 2017: 6K Dot Dash<https://nfb.org/dot-dash>
  *   July 10-15, 2017: National Convention, Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Orlando, Florida<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm16/bm1611/bm161101.htm>
  *   July 23-29, 2017: Youth Slam<http://www.blindscience.org/nfb-youth-slam>, Towson University
  *   September 12-17, 2017: BLAST<http://blindmerchants.org/blast-2017/>, Nashville, Tennessee

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
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314 | officeofthepresident at nfb.org<mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>

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