[Nfbwv-talk] President Riccobono's Notebook for 9/11/17

[Smyth, Charlene R]

September 11, 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,

Today is September 11 and all that this day now brings with it. It is a day that I think about the freedoms we enjoy and about the role our work plays in preserving and protecting that freedom. Let's share in what this day continues to offer us with respect to our place in the world and what we can do. My favorite song referencing 9/11 can be found at this link, and I offer it to you as an expression of the work we do together and the nation we grow together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD9ul3Jw6GA.

Today we are thinking about all of the people impacted by Hurricane Irma and the work ahead in Florida. As we get information about blind people impacted, we will definitely share it with you.
I have been talking with some of you about the impact on blind people from the administration's change in DACA. We are currently building a process to gather information about blind people who have been receiving DACA benefits so we can best evaluate what actions we can take on behalf of members of our organization. If you know of members or blind people in the community who are not members who benefit from DACA, please collect that information and be prepared to help them fill out our form when it is live later this week.

News:
Presidential Release:
September's presidential release<https://nfb.org/presidential-releases-en/presidential-release-464-september-2017> is now available on the NFB website.

Blindness Statistics Resource Updated:
New statistical data on the demographics of blind people living in the United States has now been added to our website<https://nfb.org/blindness-statistics>. This includes data for 2015, which is the latest year currently available. We have also now restored links to previously provided data for the years 2011 through 2014. Information provided includes estimates of the prevalence of blindness and low vision among children and adults, as well as numbers related to race and ethnicity, educational attainment, employment, and income. A section on sources for further research has also been updated and expanded. The National Federation of the Blind does not independently survey or gather statistics ourselves; however, we do consult and compile the data from the best sources we can find. To access statistics for all of the years now available, please visit https://nfb.org/blindness-statistics.



ABA Resolution - Parental Rights
Recently the American Bar Association passed a resolution in support of rights for parents with disabilities. Go to https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/mental_physical_disability/114.authcheckdam.pdf to read the resolution, white paper, and executive summary.



Videos:

Last week on the Nation's Blind YouTube channel, a group of museum staff talked about making science accessible to the blind<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBhAYztVZ5Q>.


And this week, Mark Barlow of BLIND, Inc., demonstrates how to use a click rule<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kVWCmRzJ1I> for measurements between six and twelve inches.



Reminders:

Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act:
To read more on the history of our involvement with this legislation, check out the Braille Monitor article, "Progress on the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act: The Regulations, the Law, and What They Will Mean for the Blind<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm17/bm1704/bm170403.htm>."



Affiliates:

State Convention Streaming:
Please be sure to send us the links to the streaming of your state convention so we can pass it along here.



Dates to Keep in Mind:

  *   Fall Conventions<https://nfb.org/state-conventions>
  *   September 12-17, 2017: BLAST<http://blindmerchants.org/blast-2017/>, Nashville, Tennessee
  *   November 1, 2017: 2018 Scholarship Application<http://nfb.org/scholarships> period begins
  *   November 6-8, 2017: Dare to Be Remarkable Conference<https://nfb.org/dare-be-remarkable-call-presentations>, Baltimore, Maryland
  *   January 29, 2018: Great Gathering In, Washington, District of Columbia

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>

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.




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