[Nfbwv-talk] President Riccobono's Notebook for April 10, 2018

Tue Apr 10 16:46:40 UTC 2018

April 10, 2018
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 so many great things happening across the country in the National Federation of the Blind. Our national priorities are moving at an increasingly fast pace and a number of our issues are receiving considerable attention from other organizations this month. Be on the alert for news regarding the Marrakesh Implementation Act, and see below regarding victories on fair wages. I again extend my congratulations to our leadership in the state of Washington for making Seattle the next equal-pay zone by eliminating the use of exemptions to the standard wage provisions.

On our blind-parents front, the Colorado legislature has passed a right-to-parent bill that Scott LaBarre believes will be the strongest in the nation. The governor of Colorado needs to sign it for it to be completely official, but he is expected to do so. I would like to thank our leadership and members in Colorado for continuing to raise expectations for the rest of the nation. We are on the brink of having ten states that have passed versions of our model legislation. How many more can we get done by the time of the national convention?

I wish to remind affiliate presidents about the importance of keeping up to date on financial reporting to the national office. A number of affiliates are due grants for testing in our Cardtronics program, but we are holding those checks if the affiliate's records are not up to date. We have also recently asked affiliates to share their record of insurance so we have that on file. If you have not answered that request, this is the week to complete that action.
I had a great visit to our Missouri affiliate where a number of interesting programs are being conducted. In addition to being a leader in our blind-parents work and our NFB BELL Academy, our affiliate is mobilizing chapters in fitness-related outreach. I anticipate other reports from affiliates about innovative ways national and local programs are being combined to build the Federation.

My appreciation goes out to James Brown of Tennessee for his service to our affiliate. James decided not to run for re-election to the presidency. Congratulations should be extended to the new president of the NFB of Tennessee, Christina Clift, elected at the affiliate convention last weekend.

Critical Actions This Week:

Deadline for Bolotin Award Nominations:
The deadline is this Thursday, April 15. Go to the Bolotin Award webpage<https://nfb.org/bolotin-award-main> for more information and send your nominations to Bolotinaward at nfb.org<mailto:Bolotinaward at nfb.org>.

Presidential Release:
The April Presidential Release<https://nfb.org/presidential-releases-en/presidential-release-471-april-2018> is now available online.

News:

Two Items on Subminimum Wage:
Seattle's city council unanimously voted last week to ban the practice of paying the blind and other workers with disabilities less than the city's minimum wage.

Also, the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is hosting its annual advocacy day in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, to advocate for the passage of the TIME Act (H.R. 1377). As the leading advocacy group for individuals with Down syndrome and with over 90 percent of its members affected by Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, NDSS will bring over three hundred of its members to the Capitol to tell their members of Congress that now is the TIME to stop the payment of subminimum wages to people with disabilities. This is a great opportunity for members of the National Federation of the Blind to schedule follow-up meetings with their representatives to cosponsor the TIME Act as well.

Free Literature:
There are some publications that have been for sale through the Independence Market, but that are now available free of charge (while supplies last).

  *   Jacobus tenBroek: The Man and the Movement, edited by Kenneth Jernigan, available in Braille (one volume) and print.
  *   Walking Alone and Marching Together: A History of the Organized Blind Movement in the United States, 1940-1990, by Floyd Matson, available in Braille (eleven volumes) and print.
  *   Kenneth Jernigan: The Master, the Mission, the Movement, edited by Marc Maurer, available in Braille (two volumes) and print.
  *   NFB Songbook (1991 edition), available in Braille (one small volume) and print.

To request free Braille or print copies of the above books, please contact the Independence Market by email at independencemarket at nfb.org<mailto:independencemarket at nfb.org> or by phone at 410-659-9314, extension 2216. Please note that you will be asked to cover the cost of shipping the print versions of these titles; they are not eligible for free matter shipping, because the font is smaller than fourteen point.

Podcast:
The March podcast is available at https://nfb.org/nations-blind/nations-blind-podcast-episode-24
NFB-NEWSLINE:
There are some new additions to the NFB-NEWSLINE list:

  *   Stone Soup, a literary magazine for children
  *   Sports Illustrated Online, covers all major sports
  *   Sporting News, referred to as "The Bible of Baseball"
  *   Globes Israel, coverage of Israeli business
  *   Science X, a leading web-based science, research and technology news service
  *   Medical Xpress, a web-based medical and health news service
  *   Concord Monitor, the daily newspaper for Concord, New Hampshire

Over the next few months, Scott White will be contacting each of the state presidents to discuss marketing NFB-NEWSLINE in their state through the local channel.

Ohio Requires Accessible Absentee Ballots:
Blind voters in Ohio must be able to cast absentee ballots privately and independently, according to a recent directive from the Ohio Secretary of State John Husted.

The directive comes after the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that a lawsuit brought by the National Federation of the Blind and three blind voters could go forward. Under the directive, the state's local boards of elections must make remote ballot-marking systems available to voters who are blind or who have other disabilities in time for the November 2018 election. These systems can be used alongside Braille or screen reader technology. The ballot can then be printed and mailed to the local board of elections, just like any other absentee ballot.

NFB EQ Application Deadline Approaching:

Please be sure to encourage any blind high school students who may be interested to apply to attend this year's NFB EQ program, which will be held at the NFB Jernigan Institute July 29 through August 4. With applications closing on May 1, please take some time to reach out soon to students you know. More information about the program and the application itself can be found at www.blindscience.org/nfbeq<http://www.blindscience.org/nfbeq>.

Distinguished Educator of the Year:
Likewise, the deadline for nominations for the Distinguished Educator of the Year award is also rapidly nearing. For more information, go to https://nfb.org/divisions-and-committees or directly access the nomination form<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/distinguished-educator-of-blind-students-award-form-fillable.pdf>. Please submit all nominations by email to Carla McQuillan<mailto:president at nfb-oregon.org>.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

  *   April 15, 2018: Deadline for 2018 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award competition<https://nfb.org/bolotin-award-main>
  *   May 1, 2018: Deadline for NFB EQ program application<http://www.blindscience.org/nfbeq>s
  *   May 1, 2018: Deadline for Distinguished Educator of the Year nominations<https://nfb.org/divisions-and-committees>
  *   May 31, 2018: Deadline for preregistration for 2018 National Convention<https://convention.nfb.org/>
  *   July 3-8, 2018: National Federation of the Blind National Convention<https://nfb.org/convention>, Orlando, Florida
  *   July 29-August 4, 2018: NFB EQ<http://www.blindscience.org/nfbeq>

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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