[Ohio-Talk] Must read.

Wed Sep 23 02:24:39 UTC 2020

Greetings Members of the Ohio Affiliate,

Who would think that our state convention is only 45 days away, which means
that you should already be registered and counted. But wait! I know that
some have not done so. You will not be eligible for what comes with
registering for the convention, such as voting, door prizes and additional
incentives. Please take a moment and take care of this privilege  and
responsibility.

Click or post the link:

 <https://nfbohio.org/74th-nfbo-convention/>
https://nfbohio.org/74th-nfbo-convention/

Chapter and Division dues are due one week prior to the convention. It would
be very helpful if these items could be turned in much earlier, so try to do
this if possible. The amount is a ten dollar flat tax and one dollar for
each paid member. However, if you have questions please reach out to me off
this ListServe.

This is an announcement from the Columbus Chapter about their "Meet the
Blind Month Project". 

There are a number of ways in which individuals can create a recording like
the example provided earlier this afternoon. You can use your iPhone to make
these recordings and share them through messaging, email, dropbox, or any
other social connection app you might have. You can use Voice Memos, voice
notes, or the record feature in the text messaging area of the phone. Those
can be easily sent, shared, and otherwise edited. The only thing your
background need be is quiet, and conducive  to a clear recording of your
contribution. if you require individual assistance, or would prefer to
create your recording with me via Zoom please reach out to me directly.

Jordy D. Stringer

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

Here is an announcement from the Ohio Blind Seniors Division:

The Ohio Blind Seniors are conducting a fundraiser prior to the convention.
If you pay ten dollars, you could be a winner of two hundred dollars. Every
ten dollars paid will put your name in the hat that many times. For example,
if one pays fifty dollars, that name will be put in the pot five times. This
drawing will be done at the banquet at the convention. Also, Senior dues are
due as well. They are $5 to join. Members should get dues and the drawing
funds mailed by October 30, 2020 to Gloria Conway, treasurer at 

16008 Evening Star Avenue,

Maple Heights, Ohio 44137.

Please call her for more info and to notify that you have mailed the funds
at 

(772) 882-1654.

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

Proposed 2020 Convention Principles of Voting

These principles of voting are proposed for consideration by the National
Federation of the Blind of Ohio Board of Directors, for recommendation to
the Convention. 

Nothing in these principles of voting is intended to change Article III,
Section A of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio's constitution.
The Convention remains "the supreme authority of the Federation. It is the
legislature of the Federation. As such, it has final authority with respect
to all issues of policy, and members in attendance may participate in all
convention discussions as a matter of right. Any member of the Federation
may make or second motions and propose nominations." These procedures simply
implement the method for following the constitution in an electronic
convention.

The below principles and procedures are intended to provide clarity and
advanced notice on how the convention will be managed in 2020. This document
will be read at the NFB of Ohio board meeting on November 6 and then a
second time after the roll call of chapters that afternoon. We will then ask
the convention to vote on the proposed policy. Those eligible to vote on
this proposal will be any enrolled voters present and voting at the session
on November 6 as described below.

An ad hoc committee shall deal with all questions and issues related to
voting. The ad hoc committee will include Eric Duffy, Springfield Chapter;
Suzanne Turner, Cleveland Chapter; and CHERYL FIELDS, Cleveland Chapter.
Eric Duffy shall chair the Ad Hoc committee.

Voting:

1.    All members who are registered for the convention and who opt into the
voter enrollment system by the specified time will constitute the pool of
convention voters. 

2.    All votes will first be conducted by voice. If the president is unable
to determine the outcome of any vote, he will then call for an electronic
vote. On any vote any individual member who is registered for the convention
and who has opted into the voter enrollment system by the specified time may
also call for an electronic vote.

3.    All electronic voting will be done via SMS (text message) or by phone.

4.    Any matter must receive 51 percent support of the votes cast by the
convention voters present and voting in order to be affirmed.

5.    Present and voting will mean the subset of convention voters who
actually cast a vote on a given question. Thus, voters who are indifferent
to a matter cannot block its consideration by the Convention by choosing not
to cast a vote.

6.    All electronic votes will be allocated three minutes for vote time.

7.    If voting indicates 75 percent support for or against a question prior
to the three-minute period elapsing, the chair may elect to move to the next
order of business.

An opportunity to practice voting will be offered in the convention on a
question that has no impact on the policy of the organization.

>From the National Office:

Today is National Voter Registration Day. Register to vote, request your
vote-by-mail ballot, and tell your loved ones.

.

Critical Actions:

Attend the Presidential Release Next Week:

The  <https://www.nfb.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=399> October
Presidential Release of the National Federation of the Blind will be
delivered on Thursday, October 1. After the remarks there is an opportunity
for questions. Submit questions in advance to  <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>
cdanielsen at nfb.org and put PR498 in the subject line, or call 410-659-9314,
extension 2473. 

Celebrate National Voter Registration Day, September 22:

The National Federation of the Blind encourages all blind people, regardless
of their political views, to participate in the American democracy.
According to NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org millions of eligible voters
are unable to cast a ballot every year because of a missed registration
deadline, outdated registration information, or other problems with their
voter registration. We hope that blind Americans across the country will
celebrate #NationalVoterRegistrationDay and get registered to vote and ready
to cast a ballot. Review  <https://www.nfb.org/resources/voting-resources>
our voting resources for more information on voting.

And don't forget that we have our own voting song, "
<https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/nfb_songs/hamilton-parody-final.mp3>
Our Vote," thanks to the talents of NFB member Precious Perez who was
inspired by "My Shot" from the musical Hamilton. 

News:

US Commission on Civil Rights Report on Subminimum Wages:

Last week the US Commission on Civil Rights released a report,
<https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/briefing-reports/2020-09-17-Subminimum-Wages.php
> Subminimum Wages: Impacts on the Civil Rights of People with Disabilities,
that recommended the 14(c) program be repealed with a planned phase out.
They also recommended transition funding be allocated for capacity building
while the program is phased out. The commission recommended oversight
authority and jurisdiction be assigned to either the Department of Labor or
the Department of Justice, noting the lack of civil rights oversight to
protect the rights of 14(c) workers. More information is available in our
press release. Also, a video prepared by the commission is available at
<https://securisync.intermedia.net/us2/s/HZL97afsUcN4QDOGYdK5pp0011ef58>
https://securisync.intermedia.net/us2/s/HZL97afsUcN4QDOGYdK5pp0011ef58.

The complete press release is available on
<https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-applauds-
report-united-states-commission-civil-rights> our website. 

Access Technology Affordability Act:

The ATAA has record support in both the House and Senate. With the addition
of Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Washington) and Lori Trahan
(Massachusetts) last week, the House version of the bill now has 127
cosponsors. There was also a new cosponsor in the Senate last week, as
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (New York) signed onto the bill, bringing our
total number of Senate cosponsors to twenty-five. Leadership in both
chambers continues to be impressed with the cosponsor counts on the Access
Technology Affordability Act, as well as the bipartisan nature of the
cosponsors. However, we have to keep pushing for more, as this gives us the
greatest opportunity to have ATAA included in a larger bill package. 

Independence Market Exhibit Video:

A number of state affiliates have requested our Independence Market exhibit
at their upcoming conventions. In an effort to fulfill all of the requests,
we are working on a brief demo of a few independence market items that
affiliates can use at their conventions. This video will be sent out to
affiliates later this week; it is expected to be ready by Wednesday. 

Meet the Blind Month-Share Your Events:

The National Federation of the Blind celebrates
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/meet-blind-month> Meet the Blind
Month every October. Many members are planning virtual events and more in
our local communities. Send the date of your event and a brief description
to  <mailto:web at nfb.org> web at nfb.org, so it can be included on nfb.org/MTBM.
Please use #MeetTheBlind in social media. Additionally, plan to participate
in our  <https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/twitter-chats> weekly Twitter
chats each Wednesday of October around lived experiences with
intersectionality. Mark your calendars now! 

This Week: Nonvisual Access Conference, September 24-25: 

Access Technology and Structured Discovery. Designed for teachers of blind
students and blindness professionals, the National Federation of the Blind
is hosting the
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/tr
ainings/nonvisual-access-conference> Nonvisual Access Conference, an
all-virtual, two-day conference with sessions and panels discussing the
intersection of access technology and the structured discovery training
model used in other areas of blindness-skills training. Review the agenda
and register today.

Next Week: Inclusive Publishing Conference, October 1:

Working Together for an Accessible Future in Digital Content. The National
Federation of the Blind is hosting a one-day online event focused on digital
publication accessibility. The
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/tr
ainings/inclusive-publishing-conference> Inclusive Publishing Conference
will feature presentations such as "Word to EPUB 101," "Issues Facing Blind
Students in Higher Education Today," "Best Practices for Ensuring Accessible
Content in Your University Course," and more. Registration is open. 

Pearson Collaboration:

The National Federation of the Blind's collaboration with Pearson in
connection with the Pearson/NFB Corporate Disability Mentoring Program is
going well. In this six-month program, blind college students are matched
with successful Pearson employees and are provided access to guidance,
advice, and support from successful and experienced professionals working in
a variety of positions within the Pearson organization. This year we also
are matching each Pearson mentor-mentee pair with a blind NFB mentor who
will serve as a resource to the mentoring pair should blindness questions or
concerns arise. Although the primary relationship in the triad is the
relationship between the student and his or her Pearson mentor, our NFB
mentors will be available to serve as a sounding board and to answer any
questions or offer advice if requested.

If you are interested in serving as a blindness resource to a mentor/mentee
pair in the Pearson/NFB Corporate Disability Mentoring Program, please send
an email to  <mailto:sdubnow at nfb.org> sdubnow at nfb.org.

Amazon Fulfillment Center Employees:

Related to
<https://www.nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2020-resolut
ions> NFB Resolution 2020-11: Regarding Amazon Employment Practices, if you
have been hired to work at an Amazon fulfillment center and were denied
accommodations and/or put on leave without pay while your accommodations
were being evaluated, the NFB needs to hear from you. Please contact Valerie
Yingling, legal program coordinator, at  <mailto:vyingling at nfb.org>
vyingling at nfb.org regarding your experience.

Thanks Go out to Missouri and Oregon:

I want to especially recognize both our Missouri and Oregon affiliates for
sharing recent bequests with our national office. These unrestricted gifts
from estates are so important to what we do. They give us the flexibility to
do things like advocate for voting rights during the pandemic. 

Dates to Keep in Mind:

*	September 24-25: Nonvisual Access Conference
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/tr
ainings/nonvisual-access-conference> 
*	October 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. eastern
*	October 1: Inclusive Publishing Conference
<https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/tr
ainings/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.