[NFBWV-Talk] Fwd: NFB President’s Notebook - Week of 09/21/2020

Mon Sep 21 21:27:01 UTC 2020

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: President, National Federation of the Blind <
OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
Date: Mon, Sep 21, 2020 at 5:11 PM
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - Week of 09/21/2020
To: State Presidents <StatePresidents at nfb.org>
CC: NFB-Division-Leaders at nfbnet.org <NFB-Division-Leaders at nfbnet.org>, NCB
Staff <NCBStaff 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 close out the last day of summer, we can celebrate the great
successes we have had during the season. Moving into fall we know that our
local affiliates will be challenged to keep people connected as our nation

continues to deal with the pandemic and the economic stresses caused by it.
My heart continues to be warmed by the deep personal commitment that
Federationists are making in all parts of this country to support their
blind brothers and sisters who are facing

challenges during the pandemic.

Thanks for all the work you all are doing to keep spirits high, keep the
Federation family connected, and continue advancing the status of the blind
in society. As the summer lemonade gives way to the fall cider,

I hope each of you takes some time to recognize how important your work is
to our collective success around the country. Here's to a great autumn.

*Critical Actions:*

*Attend the Presidential Release Next Week:*

The

October Presidential Release
<https://www.nfb.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=399> of the National
Federation of the Blind will be delivered on Thursday, October 1. After the
remarks there is an opportunity for questions. Submit questions in advance
to

cdanielsen at nfb.org and put PR498 in the subject line, or call 410-659-9314,
extension 2473.

*Celebrate #NationalVoterRegistrationDay, September 22:*

The National Federation of the Blind encourages all blind people,
regardless of their political views, to participate in the American
democracy. According to NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org millions of
eligible voters are unable to cast

a ballot every year because of a missed registration deadline, outdated
registration information, or other problems with their voter registration.
We hope that blind Americans across the country will celebrate
#NationalVoterRegistrationDay and get registered

to vote and ready to cast a ballot. Review

our voting resources <https://www.nfb.org/resources/voting-resources> for
more information on voting.

And don’t forget that we have our own voting song, "Our Vote
<https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/nfb_songs/hamilton-parody-final.mp3>,"
thanks to the talents of NFB member Precious Perez who was inspired by "My
Shot" from

the musical *Hamilton.*

*News:*

*US Commission on Civil Rights Report on Subminimum Wages:*

Last week the US Commission on Civil Rights released a report,

*Subminimum Wages: Impacts on the Civil Rights of People with Disabilities
<https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/briefing-reports/2020-09-17-Subminimum-Wages.php>*,
that recommended the 14(c) program be repealed with a planned phase out.
They also recommended

transition funding be allocated for capacity building while the program is
phased out. The commission recommended oversight authority and jurisdiction
be assigned to either the Department of Labor or the Department of Justice,
noting the lack of civil rights

oversight to protect the rights of 14(c) workers. More information is
available in our press release. Also, a video prepared by the commission is
available at

https://securisync.intermedia.net/us2/s/HZL97afsUcN4QDOGYdK5pp0011ef58.

The complete press release is available on

our website
<https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-applauds-report-united-states-commission-civil-rights>.

*Access Technology Affordability Act:*

The ATAA has record support in both the House and Senate. With the addition
of Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Washington) and Lori Trahan
(Massachusetts) last week, the House version of the bill now has 127
cosponsors. There was

also a new cosponsor in the Senate last week, as Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
(New York) signed onto the bill, bringing our total number of Senate
cosponsors to twenty-five. Leadership in both chambers continues to be
impressed with the cosponsor counts on the

Access Technology Affordability Act, as well as the bipartisan nature of
the cosponsors. However, we have to keep pushing for more, as this gives us
the greatest opportunity to have ATAA included in a larger bill package.

*Independence Market Exhibit Video:*

A number of state affiliates have requested our Independence Market exhibit
at their upcoming conventions. In an effort to fulfill all of the requests,
we are working on a brief demo of a

few independence market items that affiliates can use at their conventions.
This video will be sent out to affiliates later this week; it is expected
to be ready by Wednesday.

*Meet the Blind Month—Share Your Events:*

The National Federation of the Blind celebrates

Meet the Blind Month
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/meet-blind-month> every October.
Many members are planning virtual events and more in our local communities.
Send the date of your event and a brief description to

web at nfb.org, so it can be included on nfb.org/MTBM. Please use
#MeetTheBlind in social media. Additionally, plan to participate in our

weekly Twitter chats <https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/twitter-chats> each
Wednesday of October around lived experiences with intersectionality. Mark
your calendars now!

*This Week: Nonvisual Access Conference, September 24-25:*

*Access Technology and Structured Discovery. *Designed for teachers of
blind students and blindness professionals, the National Federation of the
Blind is hosting the

Nonvisual Access Conference
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/trainings/nonvisual-access-conference>,
an all-virtual, two-day conference with sessions and panels discussing the
intersection of access technology and the structured discovery training
model used in other areas of blindness-skills training. Review the agenda
and

register today.

*Next Week: Inclusive Publishing Conference, October 1:*

*Working Together for an Accessible Future in Digital Content*. The
National Federation of the Blind is hosting a one-day online event focused
on digital publication accessibility. The

Inclusive Publishing Conference
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/trainings/inclusive-publishing-conference>
will feature presentations such as “Word to EPUB 101,” “Issues Facing Blind
Students in Higher Education Today,” “Best Practices for Ensuring
Accessible Content in Your University Course,” and more. Registration is
open.

*Pearson Collaboration:*

The National Federation of the Blind’s collaboration with Pearson in
connection with the Pearson/NFB Corporate Disability Mentoring Program is
going well. In this six-month program, blind college

students are matched with successful Pearson employees and are provided
access to guidance, advice, and support from successful and experienced
professionals working in a variety of positions within the Pearson
organization. This year we also are matching

each Pearson mentor-mentee pair with a blind NFB mentor who will serve as a
resource to the mentoring pair should blindness questions or concerns arise.

Although the primary relationship in the triad is the relationship between
the student and his or her Pearson mentor, our NFB mentors will be
available to serve as a sounding board and to answer any questions or offer
advice if requested.

If you are interested in serving as a blindness resource to a mentor/mentee
pair in the

Pearson/NFB Corporate Disability Mentoring Program, please send an email to

sdubnow at nfb.org.

*Amazon Fulfillment Center Employees:*

Related to

NFB Resolution 2020-11: Regarding Amazon Employment Practices
<https://www.nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2020-resolutions>,
if you have been hired to work at an Amazon fulfillment center and were
denied accommodations and/or put on leave without pay while your
accommodations were being evaluated, the NFB needs to

hear from you. Please contact Valerie Yingling, legal program coordinator,
at

vyingling at nfb.org regarding your experience.

*Thanks Go out to Missouri and Oregon:*

I want to especially recognize both our Missouri and Oregon affiliates for
sharing recent bequests with our national office. These unrestricted gifts
from estates are so important to what we do. They give us the flexibility
to do things

like advocate for voting rights during the pandemic.

*Dates to Keep in Mind:*

   - September 24-25:

   Nonvisual Access Conference
   <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/trainings/nonvisual-access-conference>
   - October 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
   - October 1:

   Inclusive Publishing Conference
   <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/trainings/inclusive-publishing-conference>
   - October: Meet the Blind Month
   - November 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
   - December 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
   - December 9: Open-House Gathering call, 8:00 p.m. eastern
   - February 8, 2021: Washington Seminar Great Gathering-In

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

Twitter: @Riccobono

Pronouns: he, him, his

[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