[Ohio-talk] FW: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 10/23/2017

Tue Oct 24 10:39:00 UTC 2017

From: President, National Federation of the Blind [mailto:OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org] 
Sent: Monday, October 23, 2017 3:36 PM
To: President, National Federation of the Blind <OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 10/23/2017

President’s Notebook

National Federation of the Blind

Mark A. Riccobono

 <mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org> officeofthepresident at nfb.org

(410) 659-9314

Dear Fellow Federationists,

As we get into the heart of the fall convention season, the vibrancy of the Federation’s work can be felt stronger than ever. I am looking forward to heading to the NFB of Illinois convention this weekend. I anticipate it being a good one, and I hope the disappointment is not too great for the Illinois football fans as the Wisconsin Badgers are also coming to Illinois this weekend.

I wish to send a large Federation thank you to Jennifer Dunnam for her service to our Minnesota affiliate. Jennifer elected not to run for president again and supported Ryan Strunk who was elected unanimously. Jennifer continues to serve our affiliate as treasurer, and she will be quite busy with the transition as she assists our new president—among her other Federation work. I appreciate Jennifer’s commitment, and her dedication to a strong transition should be an example to all of us of the type of leadership model we strive for in our organization. The continued growth of our Minnesota affiliate and our training center there are accomplishments we can all enjoy celebrating.

This past week we posted an accessibility policy <https://nfb.org/accessibility-policy>  to the NFB website. I encourage each of our affiliate presidents to study it as the level of equal access we seek in all Federation activities. I encourage affiliates to have a similar policy at the state level. Similarly, we have added a diversity statement <https://nfb.org/diversity-statement>  to our website to express our commitment to bringing a broad cross section of individuals into the Federation family. As you have heard me say many times during the past three years, diversity is a central component to our strength as an organization. Diversity also challenges us to find ways to effectively learn from each other and adapt to different communication styles. I would think that the accessibility policy and diversity statement are both items that will require some discussion during our meeting in January.

Based on the RSVP list, it looks like we will have half of our affiliate presidents together in January.

Critical Actions This Week:

Temporary Shut Down of Braille Certification: 
Affiliate leaders should be aware of this situation so you know where to refer questions. Since 2007, the National Federation of the Blind has administered the program leading to certification of Braille transcribers and proofreaders for the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS). The contract to the National Federation of the Blind ended in late July 2017. Currently, the contract for this program is undergoing a solicitation and review process by NLS. Operation of this program is temporarily on hold until a new contract is in place. The National Federation of the Blind has placed a bid and hopes to be awarded the contract, but until then, we cannot afford to continue to operate the program without the financial support from NLS. If you have questions, please contact Tamara Rorie, Braille Development Officer at NLS, at tror at loc.gov <mailto:tror at loc.gov>  or (202) 707-3001.

Parent Leadership Program: 
The NOPBC is gathering names of parents of blind children to invite to the Parent Leadership Program (PLP) at Washington Seminar in January. If you know of a parent who shows the commitment and leadership potential to found or strengthen a parents’ division in your state, please send the name and contact information to Carol Castellano at carol.joyce.castellano at gmail.com <mailto:carol.joyce.castellano at gmail.com>  or Kim Cunningham at kim at gulfimagesphoto.com <mailto:kim at gulfimagesphoto.com> . Parents from your state who are already in the program will also be sent invitations. We hope that your affiliate or state POBC can assist in getting the parent to DC. The NOPBC may be able to provide some financial support.

News:

Diversity Statement & Accessibility Policy:

Last week we posted our new diversity statement <https://nfb.org/diversity-statement>  and accessibility policy <https://nfb.org/accessibility-policy>  to the NFB website. 

Podcast:
The next episode of the Nation's Blind podcast is available at https://nfb.org/nations-blind/nations-blind-podcast-episode-19-october-2017. 

Lawsuit Settled:
Federation member Timothy Nonn has settled a lawsuit with the Cotati Rohnert Park Unified School District. Mr. Nonn, with assistance from the NFB, had sued the district and its superintendent because the school board had voted against his request to use an aid to read documents to him at school board meetings. More information about the agreement can be found at https://nfb.org/blind-school-board-member-has-settled-school-district.

Expedia Web Accessibility:
As part of our relationship with them, Expedia has recently announced enhancements to their website—featuring expanded accessibility. Details are in the press release <https://nfb.org/expedia-unveils-enhancements-website-accessibility> . 

Dates to Keep in Mind:

*	Fall Conventions <https://nfb.org/state-conventions> 
*	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
*	November 15, 2017: 2018 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award competition <https://nfb.org/bolotin-award-main>  begins, deadline April 15
*	January 29, 2018: Great Gathering-In, Washington, District of Columbia
*	March 22-23, 2018: Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, Baltimore, Maryland

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>  

 <https://nfb.org/> 

                          <http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind>      <https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice>      <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. 

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