[Ohio-Talk] Must read revised.

Wed Aug 26 10:56:29 UTC 2020

Greetings NFB Ohio,

This weather never ceases to amaze me because of the ever changing climate.
I always heard  about the weather before I arrived  to Ohio, "if you do not
like the weather then wait a little while and it will definitely change
overnight". However, I will still take this weather, as oppose to living in
a state that may  have  a worse climate.

Ohio is getting close to our September Board Meeting and between now and
then several of us are attending neighboring state conventions; not only to
learn and educate ourselves on just how or how not to put on a great state
convention, but also to support those fellow Affiliates.   

Yes, I said a great convention! Ohio certainly has been mentioned across the
nation  and this is good news. Members have been very active, and it pleases
me to see our membership attending programming that other affiliates have
invited us to take apart. So, Ohio will continue to  build our reputation
and due diligence in putting on a great Convention of 2020.

Once again, I want to inspire you to visit WWW.NFBOhio.ORG
<http://WWW.NFBOhio.ORG>  and register for the 74 Annual State of Ohio
Convention. Please spread the word and encourage others to do the same. The
mission of this wonderful organization is to grow our membership and to
reach out far and wide to blind individuals who do not know us and bring
them into our network.

While it is great to see that the convention numbers are growing I am
imploring you to do more to get visitors, friends, family members, sponsors,
vendors and others to registered early.  The current total convention
numbers stand at 93. I would love to see us at 125 in the next two weeks.
Who will join the in-crowd?

An Announcement from the Ohio Awards Committee:

Annette Lutz, Chair

It is that time of year again! As you have all seen, Richard is telling us
to now prepare for our 2020 NFB of Ohio State Convention! This means that
all of you should be going online and registering, and it also means that it
is time to start preparing to recognize those chapters, divisions, and
individuals that have gone out of their way to do the work of the
Federation.

So this year's Awards Committee is pleased to now be providing you with this
year's awards materials.  On Ohio-Talk' attached by email you will find
instructions for submitting the gavel questionnaires, and for submitting
nomination letters for deserving individuals for our consideration, plus
copies of the questionnaires themselves. Please begin working on these right
away so that they can be completed and submitted by the October 1 deadline.
This year, we hope to receive gavel submissions from all chapters and
divisions. Also, if you have any questions about the process or the forms,
please reach out to any of our committee members. We will be happy to help.

We are getting very excited for this year's convention, and are looking
forward to showing off the work of our chapters, divisions, and individuals
who go that extra mile to make this affiliate the strong and active part of
the NFB that it is.

An Announcement from the Ohio Association of Blind Seniors:

One of the things you are probably already missing when you think about the
Ohio convention is your inability to by chances and things for chapter
fundraisers. Never fear! You can support the Seniors Division; buy a chance
to win $200 at the banquet. Suzanne got the idea from the national $20
fundraiser for the Jernigan fund. Since we are playing in the minor leagues,
we are inviting you to spend multiples of $10, to enter the seniors drawing.
Your name gets placed in the drawing basket once for every $10 you
contribute. This is for a $200 drawing at the banquet. You can send your
check made out to NFB-O Senior Division or slip cash-if you remember what
that is-into an envelope  and send it to our treasurer, Gloria Conway,
16008 Evening Star Ave., Maple Hts., OH 44137. She will note the number of
tickets you are buying and your name. I think it will be best to say that
you must be present to win, but I don't know what that will mean. I don't
worry if your name is Richard Payne or Sherry Ruth. I know where to find
you, and I know you will be at the banquet. If we have a system for reading
raised hands or calling a phone number, we will count on you to get in touch
with us using that system  to collect your $200. You could call Suzanne or
me also. I will be sending reminders between now and convention. By then we
should have precise instructions about how to acknowledge that you are the
winner. If you are a senior and want to join the division, you can stick in
another $5 for your 2021 dues. We need your name, address, phone number, and
email address if you have one. 

Remember, if you come across a blind senior who needs help or advice, call
or email me, Barbara Pierce at  <mailto:Barbara.pierce9366 at gmail.com>
Barbara.pierce9366 at gmail.com or another officer of the division. We are
finding it hard to reach out to people who need what we know. Please help us
to help blind seniors.

Lego launches bricks with Braille

<https://www.deccanherald.com/international/lego-launches-bricks-with-braill
e>
https://www.deccanherald.com/international/lego-launches-bricks-with-braille

-875705.html

UPDATED: AUG 20 2020.

Danish toy maker Lego said Thursday it was launching a new version of its
iconic plastic bricks featuring Braille for the blind or visually impaired
in seven countries.

The bricks have the same shape as the regular ones, but the studs on top are
rearranged. "The bricks are molded so that the studs on top reflect
individual letters and numbers in the Braille alphabet while remaining fully
compatible with the Lego system," a statement from the company said.

The bricks also feature a printed version of the symbol or letter.

Lego said it wanted to encourage blind and visually impaired children to
explore new ways of learning to read and write.

"With thousands of audio books and computer programs on the market today,
fewer young people are learning Braille. Yet, individuals with blindness or
impaired vision all over the world rely on Braille to work, study and enjoy
their daily lives to the fullest," Lego said.

The new bricks will first be sold in Brazil, Britain, Denmark, France,
Germany, Norway and the United States, before being extended to another

13 countries in early 2021.

In 2019, Lego allocated 25 per cent of its earnings to the Lego Foundation,
which helps disadvantaged children.

National Office News:

The Inclusion in Science Learning a New Direction (ISLAND) Conference
registration deadline is coming up September 1st. The ISLAND conference
serves as a forum for access technology developers, science educators,
rehabilitation professionals, and educational researchers to network and
share their experiences with how they have promoted the inclusion of persons
with disabilities into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) fields of study. 

News:

Attend the Presidential Release Next Week:

The September Presidential Release
<https://www.nfb.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=400>  of the National
Federation of the Blind will be delivered on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.
After the remarks, there is an opportunity for questions. Submit questions
in advance to cdanielsen at nfb.org <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org> , and put PR497
in the subject line, or call 410-659-9314, extension 2473.

Call for Blind Americans to Vote in 2020 Election:

The National Federation of the Blind encourages all blind people, regardless
of their political views, to participate in the American democracy. If your
circumstances do not allow you to vote privately and independently this
year, we still urge you to vote and then complete our voting survey
(available October 2020) as we will continue to fight for your right to
privately and independently vote. You have the right to have a person of
your choice assist you in voting, either by mail or at the polls, if you
cannot fill out your ballot privately and independently. Please watch our
video, " <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQCc6iGhl9k> Call for Blind
Americans to Vote in 2020 Election."

Advocacy and Policy Update:

On August 21, we gained four new House cosponsors for the Access Technology
Affordability Act (H.R. 2086):

Buddy Carter of Georgia Ralph Abraham of Louisiana, Vicky Hartzler of
Missouri, Bradley Byrne of Alabama. This brings our total House cosponsor
count to 125. Special thanks to the Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, and
Alabama affiliates for working hard to get these four representatives. ATAA
also has twenty-four cosponsors for the Senate companion bill, S. 815. These
numbers are fantastic, but we must continue to build support for both of
these bills in order to get ATAA completely across the finish line. Please
continue to contact your members of Congress. If you need to find out who to
contact in your member's office, please email Jesa Medders at
jmedders at nfb.org <mailto:jmedders at nfb.org> . 

While you're talking with your senators, you might also bring up our
opposition to including the Americans with Disabilities Act in Section 181
of the SAFE TO WORK Act (S. 4317). In a related note, you might have
recently heard about a "skinny" COVID-19 relief proposal in the Senate.
Unfortunately, this legislation, which is being proposed as an amendment
intended to replace the text of an older bill (S. 178), also contains the
same language as the SAFE TO WORK Act. Please tell your senators that you
also oppose the inclusion of the ADA in Section 1181 of the Delivering
Immediate Relief to America's Families, Schools, and Small Businesses Act. 

Finally, as you may already know, Sami's Law (H.R. 4686) passed the House
with no objection on July 29. This means that we are one step closer to
having it become law, but we need to boost Senate support. Please let your
senators know that you strongly support Sami's Law (H.R. 4686), and the
improvements it will bring to rideshare safety for all Americans, and urge
that they support it as well when it is considered in the Senate.

New Blog Post: "Access Technology Detection as an App Permission: A Possible
Solution"

Apps detecting if a screen reader is in use could provide improved
functionality when screen readers are running. Unfortunately, it can also be
used improperly, hiding functionality, presenting simplified or limited
versions of interfaces, and more. Read the recent post on the
<https://www.nfb.org/blog/access-technology-detection-app-permission-possibl
e-solution> Voice of the Nation's Blind Blog.

2020 Virtual Senior Retreat:

The National Federation of the Blind Senior Division's annual retreat will
be virtual this year. Focusing on promoting a sense of wellbeing and
self-confidence in both newly and lifelong blind seniors, the retreat will
take place October 18-24. Visit their website at http://seniors.nfb.org for
more information and to register.

2020 Online Research Platform Study:

This semester, we will be working with the accessibility of the HathiTrust
to conduct a study on the accessibility and usability of an online research
platform. If you are a college student, higher-education faculty member, or
other professional conducting academic research, please complete this survey
<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C5KDN7G>  in order to be considered to
participate in the study. All who complete the survey will be entered into a
drawing.

NFB BELLR Donations from Affiliates: 

Thanks go out to the NFB of Texas for our latest affiliate contribution to
NFB BELL. I continue to be proud of the way we have supported our shift to
an all-virtual program for our NFB BELL In-Home Edition. Thanks to all of
our affiliates who have contributed time and financial resources to make
this happen.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

*	September 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
*	September 13: Open-House Gathering call, 4:00 p.m. eastern
*	September 25:
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/tr
ainings/nonvisual-access-conference> Nonvisual Access Conference
*	October 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
*	October 1:
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/tr
ainings/inclusive-publishing-conference> Inclusive Publishing Conference
*	October: Meet the Blind Month
*	November 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
*	December 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
*	December 9: Open-House Gathering call, 8:00 p.m. eastern
*	February 8, 2021: Washington Seminar Great Gathering-In

Richard Payne,  President

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

937/829/3368

 <mailto:Rchpay7 at gmail.com> Rchpay7 at gmail.com

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.