[Ohio-talk] FW: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 04/08/2019

Tue Apr 9 01:13:29 UTC 2019

Sent: Monday, April 8, 2019 2:44 PM
To: President, National Federation of the Blind <OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 04/08/2019

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 enter the second week of April, I am keenly aware that the national convention will be here in less than three months. That means the pace of activity is picking up each day. I encourage you to pay close attention to the items listed in the notebook as we go forward. I often hear from leaders that they did not know something and when I remind them it was in the notebook they say that they have not read it yet. If that is you, you likely have not read this sentence yet. However, I want to remind all leaders that the purpose of the notebook is to batch together information, so you have one convenient place to find, at least, the basics. If you keep every notebook in a single folder, you should have all of the programmatic information you need easily available. 

I want to give a special congratulations to the NFB of Georgia for getting a parental rights bill through the Georgia legislature. This was not an easy battle, but they got it done with spirit and determination. Thanks to our Georgia leadership for expanding the circle of protection for blind parents.

A number of states have not responded to recent emails from Julie McGinnity regarding affiliate membership lists. If you do not have your membership coins and if you have not heard anything in some time, I urge you to reach out to Julie McGinnity to keep things moving. You do not want to be without the membership coins at the national convention. Julie can be reached at  <mailto:jmcginnity at nfb.org> jmcginnity at nfb.org or 410-659-9314, extension 2509 (link for calling directly from smart phone 4106599314,,2509).

Keep those convention ideas coming and keep pushing back on the In The Dark show using our #LetUsPlayUs campaign hashtag.

News:

April Presidential Release
This month’s Presidential Release is available at  <https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases> https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases. 

Affiliate and Division Exhibiting at the National Convention:
Online registration for affiliate and division exhibit tables at the national convention is available through May 31. You can find  <https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/exhibit-hall> information about exhibiting and the exhibitor application form online on the NFB website. When filling out the application, be sure to choose “NFB affiliate exhibitor” as the exhibitor type.

If you have any questions, please contact Anna Adler at  <mailto:aadler at nfb.org> aadler at nfb.org or 410-659-9314, extension 2282.

Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award:
Please be sure to nominate those wonderful BELL Academy teachers and other teachers of blind students who go above and beyond to provide quality instruction and experiences for our blind students. The deadline is May 1, 2019. You can contact Carla McQuillan at  <mailto:president at nfb-oregon.org> president at nfb-oregon.org or 541-653-9153. 

Legislative Update:
On Thursday, April 4, 2019, Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee Chairman Mike Thompson (D-CA-5) and Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA-16) introduced the Access Technology Affordability Act of 2019 (H.R. 2086) in the US House of Representatives. This bipartisan legislation removes an employment barrier commonly experienced by blind Americans who cannot afford the high cost of access technology by creating a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2,000 to offset the cost of these technologies. Bipartisan companion legislation was introduced in the US Senate as S. 815 earlier this year. Please call your representative and senators to encourage them to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act. You can reach the relevant offices by calling the capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. If you are contacting them via email, please copy Gabe Cazares at  <mailto:gcazares at nfb.org> gcazares at nfb.org in your correspondence.

NFB BELL Academy Dates:
Below are the dates of some additional NFB BELL Academies. These are in addition to those listed in the previous notebook.

*	7/22-8/2 St. Louis, MO 
*	7/22-8/2 Columbia, MO
*	7/27-8/25 Tonawanda, New York
*	8/5-8/9 Harrisburg, PA 

Dates to Keep in Mind:

*       April 15, 2019:  <https://nfb.org/programs/dr-jacob-bolotin-awards> Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award application deadline 

*	May 1, 2019:  <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/distinguished-educator-blind-students-award> Distinguished Educator Award nomination deadline
*	June 16-22, 2019:  <http://www.blindscience.org/nfbeq> NFB EQ, Baltimore, Maryland

*	July 7-12, 2019:  <https://nfb.org/convention/2019> NFB National Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada
*	February 10, 2020: Great Gathering-In; Washington Seminar begins

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

 <https://nfb.org/> 

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