[NFBWV-Talk] Fwd: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 08/26/2019

Mon Aug 26 21:14:44 UTC 2019

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: President, National Federation of the Blind <
OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
Date: Mon, Aug 26, 2019 at 5:08 PM
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 08/26/2019
To: President, National Federation of the Blind <
OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>

President’s Notebook National Federation of the Blind Mark A. Riccobono
officeofthepresident at nfb.org 410-659-9314

Dear Fellow Federationists,

As we lead up to Labor Day—and the perceived final week of summer—I know
that many affiliates are ramping up for a great fall schedule, including
many affiliate conventions. We should be planning to ramp up our efforts
with members of Congress to gain support for our bills when they come back
into session. With the election schedule next year, our time to make
progress in this Congress is limited. The fall is critical to making things
happen.

Please note that I recently have been making some changes in our staff.
Karen Anderson has moved to a new assignment working on our education
programs. Our affiliates working on Federation BELL Academies will have the
opportunity to work very closely with her in the coming year. As other
changes are made, I will share them with you. Please be sure to promote job
opportunities on our national staff. Openings are posted to our website at
https://nfb.org/about-us/career-opportunities.

Here is a short survey for our affiliate presidents—please cut and paste
these questions into an email and send your response to
officeofthepresident at nfb.org.

1. If we have a summit meeting for affiliate presidents in the spring of
2020, will you plan to attend?

2. What time frame is preferred for such a gathering: the weekend prior to
Washington Seminar or another weekend in January or April?

3. What topic would you most want to learn about during this gathering?
Critical Actions This Week:

Spread the Word:
The NFB is in litigation with the Department of Education Office for Civil
Rights regarding its March 2018 amended *Case Processing Manual*, which
mandated dismissal of new complaints by anyone who had filed a complaint in
the past (even against a different entity or a different issue) and eliminat
ed the right to appeal a dismissal.  In November 2018, the department
amended the *Case Processing Manual* again to stop dismissing complaints on
that basis and reinstated the appeal right.  The department also stated
that it would reopen the complaints previously dismissed as “directed
investigations,” rather than complaint investigations.  The NFB is seeking
information–by September 4–about members’ experiences with Department of
Education complaints since March 2018. Please contact Valerie Yingling at
vyingling at nfb.org or 410-659-9314, extension 2440, if:

·         you had any complaint dismissed because you filed a complaint
previously or because you filed against multiple entities,

·         you had any complaint reopened as a “directed investigation,” or

·         you had an appeal dismissed or were instructed that you were not
allowed to appeal.

News:

Convention Attendee Lists:
We’ve got one more national convention tucked under our belts. With
near-record attendance and a substantial contingent of first-time
attendees, you may want to know who from your affiliate registered for
convention, both in advance and on site. If you would like to have a list
for your affiliate, please email Susan Skaarer (sskaarer at nfb.org) to
request a spreadsheet of registrants. We will include address and email
details, but please keep in mind that we currently only collect city and
state from those who register on site.

Self-driving Car Bill:
Recently, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation agreed to work together
on a bipartisan and bicameral basis to develop a self-driving car bill. As
part of that process, the committees sought feedback in a variety of
categories, one of which was disability access. Of course, the National
Federation of the Blind was one of the disability advocacy groups they
contacted to submit feedback in this area. Our submitted comments
<https://www.nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.org/files/files-pdf/av-comments-8-22-19.pdf>,
along with our official statements on a wide range of legislative topics,
are posted on the NFB website in the Policy Statements section of the
Advocacy page.

Become a Beta Tester for NFB-NEWSLINE® Mobile 3.0:
By now you may have heard that the NFB-NEWSLINE mobile app is getting an
upgrade. An important part of the app development process is user feedback
and that’s where you come in! If you are interested in getting a sneak peak
of the new features that will be available and being a beta tester, then
join us on Thursday, August 29, 2019, at 8:00 p.m. eastern (7:00 p.m.
central, 6:00 p.m. mountain, 5:00 p.m. Pacific) to learn more.

To participate in the training, please use one of the options listed below.

Join Zoom Webinar on your computer or mobile device by following this link:
https://zoom.us/j/506774545

Or join by phone: 646-876-9923; webinar ID: 506774545

Los Angeles Community College District Ruling:
In a case filed by the National Federation of the Blind; the National
Federation of the Blind of California; and two blind students, Roy Payan
and Portia Mason, the Federal District Court for the Central District of
California Found that Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD)
violated the students’ rights under Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by
failing to provide them with accessible documents and course materials,
failing to provide equal access to library resources, procuring and using
inaccessible educational technology, and maintaining an inaccessible
website, among other things. More information can be found in the NFB press
release
<https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/federal-court-rules-favor-blind-students>.

Indiana Lawsuit:
The National Federation of the Blind was joined by Christopher and Sarah
Meyer, blind siblings, in a suit filed against the Indiana Family and
Social Services Administration (FSSA) and its Division of Family Resources
(DFR), claiming communications sent out by the organization and their
contractors were inaccessible, forcing the Meyers to not only rely on other
people to intercept and read their private information, but causing them to
lose their benefits. Please see the press release
<https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/blind-hoosiers-file-lawsuit-against-indiana-division-family-resources>
for more details.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

   - February 10, 2020: Great Gathering-In; Washington Seminar begins
   - March 26-27, 2020: Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium, Baltimore, Maryland
   - June 30-July 5, 2020: NFB National Convention, Houston, Texas

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
<https://www.google.com/maps/search/200+East+Wells+Street,+Baltimore,+MD+21230?entry=gmail&source=g>

(410) 659-9314 | officeofthepresident at nfb.org

[image: National Federation of the Blind] <https://nfb.org/>

                         [image: Facebook]
<http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind>    [image: Twitter]
<https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice>    [image: Youtube]
<https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind>

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.

-- 
Sheri Koch, President
National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia
304-993-5103