[Ohio-talk] NFB President’s Notebook - week of 06/11/2019 - with the attachment

Tue Jun 11 21:25:25 UTC 2019

From: President, National Federation of the Blind <OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org> 
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2019 2:50 PM
To: President, National Federation of the Blind <OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 06/11/2019 - with the attachment

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,

If you are like me, you feel the excitement of the national convention building every day. I am very much anticipating being with each of you and discussing the next phase of what we want to do together. Knowing that we will have a big group of first-timers at the convention and that we have a location we have not met in, I am counting on this group to be our best resource for sharing information and ensuring things run smoothly.

If you registered for the convention by May 31—you did that right?—you will be receiving our pre-convention emails that will have a lot of key information you will need. We are anticipating the agenda being publicly available soon. When it is posted to the web, we will send you a text alert.

There is more to say but I will save my words for the national convention. Back to writing...

News:

Exclusive Convention Sale: Orbit Reader 20:
The National Federation of the Blind has secured an exclusive deal on the Orbit Reader 20. It will be available for sale at national convention in Las Vegas for the cost of $549. This fifty-dollar savings won’t be available any other time. The Orbit Reader 20 is a Braille display, book reader, and note-taker and includes an SD card, charger, and a USB cable. Learn more about the device at https://www.orbitresearch.com/product/orbit-reader-20 <https://www.orbitresearch.com/product/orbit-reader-20/> /.

Template for Prospective New Members—Overview with Chapter Information:
The attached Prospective-New-Member Template is a tool for chapters to customize with their contact information as well as the affiliate information. This handout is a guiding document for membership chairs or mentors to have an initial conversation with a prospective member about who we are and what we do. In order to access the form fields, simply use the arrow keys to read the text, and then use the tab key to move through the form fields. Please use and share this template.  

Nevada’s Blind Parents’ Rights Bill:
Nevada’s blind parents’ rights bill passed last week. The legislative outreach liaison of the NFB of Nevada was in Carson City for the governor’s signing of the bill. 

ODEP’s 14(c) Online Dialogue: 
The US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is currently facilitating an online dialogue regarding the use of special wage certificates under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. From the announcement: “Please share your ideas, individual stories, and personal experiences illustrating the impact of Section 14(c) on the employment of people with disabilities. The goal of this online dialogue is to capture perspectives about Section 14(c) based on individual input from those ‘on the ground.’ Information gleaned from the comments will then be summarized to provide ODEP an overview of Section 14(c) at the state and national levels.”

Supporters of special wage certificates are actively dominating the conversation. It is imperative that we counter their stories regarding this discriminatory practice. Please urge all Federation members to engage with this online dialogue by visiting https://14cdialogue.ideascale.com/. The deadline is June 21, 2019. For more information, visit ePolicyWorks at dol.gov <mailto:ePolicyWorks at dol.gov?subject=14(c)%20Online%20Dialogue%20-%20Assistance>  or call ODEP at 202-693-7880. And if you have any questions, please contact Kimie Eacobacci <mailto:keacobacci at nfb.org> .

Dates to Keep in Mind:

*	June 15, 2019: Deadline to register for NFB Camp <https://nfb.org/nfb-camp-registration-form> . 
*	June 16-22, 2019: NFB EQ <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/national-center-blind-youth-science> , Baltimore, Maryland
*	June 25, 2019: Accessibility Boutique - Nonvisual Accessibility of G-Suite Products <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/accessibility-boutiques> , Baltimore, Maryland
*	July 7-12, 2019: NFB National Convention <https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/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 | 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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