[Ohio-talk] FW: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 10/22/2018

Tue Oct 23 12:40:14 UTC 2018

From: President, National Federation of the Blind <OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org> 
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2018 4:52 PM
To: President, National Federation of the Blind <OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 10/22/2018
Importance: High

President’s Notebook

National Federation of the Blind

Mark A. Riccobono

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

(410) 659-9314

Fellow Federationists:

I hope this message finds you doing well. I want to note that this is a relatively short notebook but the primary item in it is of top importance. Note the deadline of later today. 

Congratulations need to go to Greg Aikens (Georgia) and Kevin Whitley (Alaska) who recently transitioned out of the presidencies of their respective affiliates. Thank you for your work and for your continued commitment to the Federation through your active participation and unwavering support of new leaders. Welcome Dorothy Griffin to the president's chair in Georgia and Bonnie Lucas to the president's chair in Alaska.

You have heard me mention previously that we are going to send a letter to each of the Major League Baseball teams regarding our work with the Orioles. We have now sent that letter and we have copied the text of the letter below in this email for your information. If we hear from the team(s) in your affiliate we will let you know as the goal is to work closely to put the affiliate out front in the relationship. If you would like a copy of the letter that you can share with contacts you may already have with one of the teams, please reach out to Beth Braun at bbraun at nfb.org <mailto:bbraun at nfb.org> .

Critical Actions This Week:

Lyft - Your Immediate Attention to GOTV (Get Out the Vote):
The time is now for you to plan and act if you want your affiliate to take advantage of our partnership with Lyft to assist people in getting to the polls on Election Day and early voting. We have only had five affiliates request to be included in the Lyft-NFB Election Day partnership. If you want your affiliate added to the list, you need to immediately send an email to Julie McGinnity, NFB program assistant, at jmcginnity at nfb.org <mailto:jmcginnity at nfb.org>  providing name and contact information for the individual that will be managing the codes on behalf of the affiliate, and giving a brief description of your plan to distribute the codes. Remember, the goal is to identify and support blind people who do not have easy access to the polls. Please include how many codes you believe you could use with your plan, assuming that each promotional code might be valued at up to $15. Affiliates should be prepared to promote the project in social media and be prepared to report the outcomes of the program. 

**If your email is not received by midnight eastern time tonight, we will assume your affiliate has no interest in participating and we will not include you in the Election Day program.**

News:

Promoting the Local Affiliate with National Leaders: 
I wanted to share this link to a quick piece that was put together by the NPR affiliate in Buffalo this weekend. One person made a call to the local NPR station and pitched what a unique opportunity it would be for them to interview me since I was in Buffalo for the state convention. It resulted in an audio interview and this written piece, showing how a little bit of outreach can get us some exposure. Utilize the talent of national leaders coming to your affiliate for opportunities like this. http://news.wbfo.org/post/national-federation-blind-adding-outreach-center-buffalo

Dates to Keep in Mind:

*	Fall conventions <https://nfb.org/state-conventions> 

*         November 1, 2018: NFB scholarship application period begins

*         November 15, 2018: Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award application period begins

*	January 28, 2019: Great Gathering-In; Washington Seminar begins
*	March 28-29, 2019: Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium
*	June 16-22, 2019: NFB EQ, Baltimore, Maryland
*	July 7-12, 2019: NFB National Convention <https://nfb.org/convention/2019> , Las Vegas, Nevada

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. 

Dear Major League Baseball Franchise:

As president of the nation’s oldest and largest organization of blind people, and a longtime baseball fan, I am writing to propose an exciting opportunity for your club to partner with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) in the tradition of public and community service that has always been a part of Major League Baseball. As you may be aware, we have recently partnered with the Baltimore Orioles for a first-of-its kind game-night event highlighting the National Federation of the Blind, the Braille reading and writing system that is used by blind people all over the world, and the capacity of blind sports fans everywhere to live the lives we want. Our work with the Orioles was significant in raising public awareness and for outreach to fans with disabilities, and we believe it can serve as a model for programs all over Major League Baseball.

In their game against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 18, Orioles players and coaches wore specially-designed jerseys with Braille lettering of both “Orioles” and each player’s last name, becoming the first team in American professional sports history to incorporate Braille lettering into their gameday uniforms. The jerseys were then autographed, authenticated, and auctioned to benefit the National Federation of the Blind. In addition, NFB members handed out cards featuring the Braille alphabet and a Braille message for fans to decode, co-branded with the NFB and Baltimore Orioles logos. I also had the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch of the game.

While our event with the Orioles was tied to the fortieth anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind establishing our national headquarters in Baltimore, there are opportunities that we could highlight locally through a partnership with your club during a similar event in 2019. The National Federation of the Blind has a local chapter in your community. That chapter, in turn, is part of our statewide affiliate in the state where your club is based. Partnering with our chapter and affiliate for a gameday event would connect your club with its blind fans, support local programs to teach blind children Braille and other skills, and foster greater understanding between blind and sighted fans, leading to more opportunities for blind people in the area your club serves. One of the great programs we could highlight is the largest Braille instruction program in the country—the NFB’s Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Academy. We are prepared to support the engagement with our local chapter and affiliate through our national communications staff who coordinated the night with the Orioles.

Both the National Federation of the Blind and the Baltimore Orioles are delighted with the positive reaction to this event in Baltimore and beyond. NFB members were able to share our love of baseball, our commitment to Braille literacy, and our positive outlook on blindness with the Orioles fan community. The Orioles demonstrated a spirit of inclusion by partnering with our blind members in an authentic way. Both organizations feel that the event has, in short, been a grand slam.

I will be happy to discuss how we can work together at your earliest convenience. I am also enclosing a list of news clips and articles that have been generated by our event with the Orioles, as well as one of the co-branded Braille alphabet cards and some photographs from the event. I sincerely hope that we will be working with your club in the coming baseball season. Feel free to reach out to me at  <mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org> officeofthepresident at nfb.org or 410-659-9314.

Sincerely,

Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind