[NFBWV-Talk] Fwd: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 01/20/2020

Wed Jan 22 17:05:41 UTC 2020

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: President, National Federation of the Blind <
OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
Date: Wed, Jan 22, 2020 at 11:07 AM
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 01/20/2020
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,

You are on the move and making great things happen already in 2020. It is
always impressive how the Federation spins back into action after the
end-of-the-year slow down, but this year it feels extra powerful.

If you listened to the January Presidential Release, you heard that I laid
out some things for us to think about in our chapters and affiliates. I
continue to hear from members who say their chapter will not play the
release or that the leader of their chapter decides to play only certain
parts. I continue to seek feedback from you about the value of the release
and how we can use it more effectively—or whether we should stop producing
it and spend our time at all levels on other priorities. I continue to get
great feedback from people about the release, but I am also aware that
there is a need to open conversations about our communications strategies.
As you prepare to come for our Presidents Retreat, I encourage you to give
this topic honest reflection and share your ideas with me.

We are poised to have one of the strongest Washington Seminars ever. Thank
you for your leadership in preparing to make that happen. I anticipate
being with you in just a little more than two weeks.
Critical Actions This Week:

Washington Seminar Conference Call:
I will be holding a conference call for all affiliate presidents and
legislative directors on Wednesday, January 29, to review all aspects of
the upcoming Washington Seminar. The call-in information is 877-853-5257,
meeting ID 392 942 896. The Washington Seminar legislative agenda and fact
sheets are available in a variety of formats on our website. They can be
found at https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar.
This information has also been posted on NFB NEWSLINE® and can be found
using the free NFB NEWSLINE mobile app—choose Publications, Publication
Options, All Publications.

Please be sure to submit your Washington Seminar appointments to
hillappointments at nfb.org and to include:

·         Member of Congress

·         Meeting date and time

·         Meeting location

·         Staff contact

·         NFB contact

·         NFB contact cell phone

News: NFB EQ Registration Now Open:
Share this summer opportunity with blind or low-vision teens: The National
Federation of the Blind Engineering Quotient (NFB EQ) program will be held
June 21-27, 2020, at the Science Museum of Minnesota. NFB EQ is a week-long
adventure into engineering and problem solving. No specific level of
engineering experience is required. The online application for the 2020 NFB
EQ program
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb-eq/nfb-eq-application>
is now open. The deadline to apply is March 29, 2020. Also, check out
additional
summer programs <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/summer-programs>
available for young students to adults.

NFB STEM2U:
We will be hosting a training seminar in Baltimore (scheduled for May 8-9,
2020) for affiliates interested in hosting a STEM program for youth in the
fall of 2020. Contact Karen Anderson at kanderson at nfb.org or 410-659-9314,
extension 2243, for more information.
Accessibility Boutique: Comparison of Cloud Storage Solutions:
Tuesday, January 28 | 8:30-10:30 a.m. | Zoom Teleconference. Attend this
two-hour session to explore the tools that blind students and blind
professionals use to create digital work in Word, Excel, and other
applications. This boutique will compare the features and accessibility of
the most popular cloud storage services including but not limited to
Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive. The National Federation of the Blind
hosts free monthly accessibility boutiques that cover best practices and
latest trends in access tech. Register now
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/trainings/accessibility-boutiques>
. Automated Production of Braille Math Books in the Works:
With a grant from the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults,
along with support from the National Science Foundation, a working group of
members of the National Federation of the Blind and other researchers
developed an automated method for creating textbooks in Braille. The
American Institute of Mathematics just announced the production method and
a week-long workshop to explain and improve on it. Learn more from our
press room
<https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/automated-production-braille-math-books-works>
.

January Presidential Release:
The January release can be found at
https://www.nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases.
The Shoe Fits: #RunForNFB Fundraiser:
Lace up your shoes and join Terri Rupp in raising $50,000 for the National
Federation of the Blind. Terri Rupp, national board member and president of
the National Federation of the Blind of Nevada, is completing her first 50K
on February 14, 2020, in Las Vegas, and she wanted to combine her love for
running with her love of turning dreams into reality. You don’t have to
literally run, but share her story and this fundraiser
<https://www.nfb.org/blog/shoe-fits-runfornfb-fundraiser>. #RunForNFB Dates
to Keep in Mind:

   - February 10: Great Gathering-In; Washington Seminar begins
   - March 26-27: Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, Baltimore,
   Maryland
   - March 31: Deadline for scholarship applications
   <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-program>
   - April 14-17: NABM BLAST <http://www.blindmerchants.org>, Chicago,
   Illinois
   - June 21-27: NFB EQ
   <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb-eq>;
   St. Paul, Minnesota
   - July 14-19: 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

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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