[Ohio-talk] NFB President’s Notebook - week of 03/25/2019

Tue Mar 26 11:15:44 UTC 2019

From: President, National Federation of the Blind <OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org> 
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2019 4:10 PM
To: President, National Federation of the Blind <OfficeOfThePresident at nfb.org>
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 03/25/2019

President’s Notebook

National Federation of the Blind

Mark A. Riccobono

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

410-659-9314

Dear Fellow Federationists,

Spring is here, and the weather is starting to show signs of the change. The birds have begun taking over the trees in South Baltimore, providing an extra note of hope in the air.

I am excited about the feedback I am getting around our membership efforts. Just a reminder, I am seeking fun ways to incorporate the membership coin into our national convention. Also, a reminder that I am seeking suggestions of speakers or topics for the general sessions at the national convention. Time is of the essence on making suggestions.

Speaking of change, construction has started on the Fourth Floor Barney Street Wing here at our national office. This means if you are coming to our law symposium this week or visiting for some other reason over the next six months, the patterns will be different. We cannot wait to open the new space to all of you.

I hope that some of you will be able to join us at our protest in New York City on April 2. If you need details, please reach out to Kyle Walls at our office at kwalls at nfb.org <mailto:kwalls at nfb.org> . Kyle is managing the list of who will be with us on the streets in front of CBS.

Critical Actions This Week:

Let Us Play Us Campaign Update: 
We continue to publicly disapprove of the lead role of a blind woman being played by a sighted actor in an upcoming television series called In the Dark—scheduled to air April 4 on The CW. We received a response from the show’s executives that claims they acted in good faith and that they are interested in meeting with us after we have watched the show. Meeting prior to the show airing is crucial, but so far, the executives have neither agreed nor declined the request to meet prior to April 2. Therefore, here are our next action items for this campaign.

*         On Wednesday, March 27, join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook from noon to 2:00 pm EST using the hashtag #LetUsPlayUs. 

*         On Tuesday, April 2, we will hold a public protest in New York City at the CBS Corporation. As its producer, the CBS Corporation is affiliated with the show. If you are able to attend this protest, please reach out to Kyle Walls at kwalls at nfb.org <mailto:kwalls at nfb.org>  for additional information on location and times. 

News:

NFB Blindness Experience Teaching Internship Program:
The National Federation of the Blind, in coordination with our three comprehensive, residential training centers, will be providing an exciting internship opportunity for professionals who are either currently working with blind individuals or who are preparing to work in the blindness field. An internship at one of our training centers will provide the hands-on training and experience necessary to jump-start a career in the field of blindness. This nine-month program will provide each participant with the philosophy, positive attitude, and skills that will put them on the cutting edge of work with blind and low-vision individuals. If you are interested in obtaining more information or applying for the internship, visit https://nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/blindness-experience-teaching-internship.

NFB BELL Academy Dates:
Below are the dates of our NFB BELL Academies. We will have forty-one programs in twenty-nine states.

*         5/27-6/7 Tucson, AZ

*         5/28-6/7 Memphis, TN

*         6/2-7 Clarksville, TN

*         6/2-8 Ruston, LA

*         6/3-14 Prichard, AL

*         6/10-21 Kansas City, KS

*         6/10-21 Littleton, CO

*         6/10-21 Missoula, MT

*         6/10-21 Salt Lake City, UT

*         6/10-14 Springfield, IL

*         6/11-15 Amory, MS

*         6/17-28 Philadelphia, PA

*         6/17-28 Pittsburgh, PA

*         6/17-28 Madison, AL

*         6/17-20 Alvin, TX

*         6/23-28 Columbus, GA

*         6/24-28 Albuquerque, NM

*         6/24-28 Coeur d’Alene, ID

*         6/24-28 Indianapolis, IN

*         6/24-28 Westminster, CO

*         6/24-7/3 Las Vegas, NV

*         7/15-19 Grand Junction, CO

*         7/21-26 Columbus, OH

*         7/22-8/2 Boise, ID

*         7/22-8/2 Phoenix, AZ

*         7/22-8/2 Columbia, SC

*         7/22-8/2 Idaho Falls, ID

*         7/22-8/2 Perth Amboy, NJ

*         7/22-8/2 Salisbury, MD

*         7/22-7/27 Charleston, WV

*         7/28-8/2 Harrisonburg, VA 

*         7/29-8/9 Baltimore, MD

*         7/29-8/9 Chicago, IL

*         7/29-8/9 Washington, DC

*         7/29-8/9 Glendale, MD

*         7/29-8/9 Pharr, TX

*         8/5-8/16 Minneapolis, MN

*         8/5-8/16 Portland, OR

*         8/5-8/16 Redding, CA

*         8/5-8/16 Wilmington, DE

*         8/19-23 New York, NY

Dates to Keep in Mind:

*	March 28-29, 2019: Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium <https://nfb.org/law-symposium> 

*        March 31, 2019: NFB scholarship application <https://nfb.org/scholarships>  deadline

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

*	May 1, 2019: Distinguished Educator Award <https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/scholarships-and-awards/distinguished-educator-blind-students-award>  nomination deadline
*	June 16-22, 2019: NFB EQ <http://www.blindscience.org/nfbeq> , Baltimore, Maryland
*	July 7-12, 2019: NFB National Convention <https://nfb.org/convention/2019> , 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.