[Ohio-Talk] Reminders and other information

Thu May 20 22:19:11 UTC 2021

Greetings Ohio,

I want to remind you that we will be having a meeting for all of our members on May 26 at 7:00 pm on our normal zoom platform. I would like to hear from you offline if you have items that you wish for us to cover and ask that all elected officers from this affiliate attend.

Hi everyone,

Friendly reminder that our May chapter presidents meeting is this Sunday, May 23! We are thrilled to have so many of you joining us as I’m sure they are already on your calendar.

These meetings are important for brainstorming in building the National Federation of the Blind, as well as for us to share recent updates, particularly as we ramp up for national convention!

Zoom Link:

 <https://zoom.us/j/3404518037> https://zoom.us/j/3404518037 

If you have access needs, please let me know by this Friday, May 21!

Thank you,

Kathryn

Critical Actions:

Double Your Dollars: NFB and Deque GAAD Gift Matching Campaign:

Thanks to the generous donations from Deque Systems and an anonymous donor, there will be a gift-matching campaign during the week of Global Accessibility Awareness Day. A gift-matching donation means that every dollar you donate to the National Federation of the Blind will be matched up to $25,000 during the week of May 16 through May 23. This will also be part of our Give 20 campaign, so donations during the gift matching will also be included in the Give 20 drawing to either win a trip to the 2022 National Convention OR take the cash prize of $2,000. Double your dollars: learn more about  <https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/give-20-convention-drawing/double-your-dollars-gaad-gift-matching> the gift matching campaign.

Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day:

May 20 is the tenth Global Accessibility Awareness Day, a day to emphasize the importance of integrating accessibility into everything digital (web, software, mobile, etc.). The National Federation of the Blind is celebrating all week. Follow us on  <https://www.facebook.com/NationalFederationoftheBlind> Facebook and  <https://twitter.com/NFB_voice> Twitter to join the conversation.  <https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/trainings> Share our accessibility work.

Attend the Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access GAAD Presentation:

The presentation will be held on May 20 from 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. eastern via Zoom. The National Federation of the Blind will be highlighting our 2020-2021 efforts to promote accessibility. Register now:  <https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/cena-2021-gaad-presentation> https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/cena-2021-gaad-presentation. 

News:

Congratulations to the 2021 Scholarship Program Finalists!:

Each year the National Federation of the Blind is proud to honor blind scholars, all of whom are raising expectations and expanding possibilities. On May 12, we announced the 2021 scholarship finalists. The scholarship program provides financial assistance and connects students with mentoring and other resources.  <https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-announces-2021-scholarship-program-finalists> Meet the finalists and learn about their vocational goals.

Mark Your Calendars: Next Presidential Release on June 1—Captioning and Spanish Available:

The next Presidential Release of the National Federation of the Blind will be delivered on Tuesday, June 1, at 8:00 p.m. eastern. 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 PR506 in the subject line, or call 410-659-9314, extension 2473. Closed captions and Spanish interpretation will be available. Mark your calendars! Zoom details will be available soon. 

Upcoming: Open Call on Code of Conduct FAQs:

May 23 at 8:00-10:00 p.m. eastern via Zoom – The Survivors Task Force invites Federationists and other members of the blind community to attend open calls to review the Code of Conduct Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and to collect feedback on the Code of Conduct itself. Aggregated concerns collected during the Code of Conduct feedback sessions will help inform the Code review, which is presently underway. The tentative agenda, 1CapApp, Zoom participation information, and other Survivor Task Force branch meeting dates are available for review at  <https://nfb.org/programs-services/safety-support/safety-support-upcoming-events> https://nfb.org/programs-services/safety-support/safety-support-upcoming-events 

Required Training for NFB BELL Coordinators and Volunteers: 

We will be offering two training sessions for all NFB BELL® coordinators and volunteers who will be working with youth during the 2021 summer. The first session will be held May 22 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. eastern, and the second will be held May 26 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. eastern. This training is required for anyone planning to work with youth in our 2021 NFB BELL Academy In-Home Edition. The information in these sessions will be identical, so individuals only need to plan to attend one. Zoom information has been sent out to those individuals who have been identified as BELL coordinators, as well as those who have been identified as mentors and whose background checks have been requested. For more information, or to request that someone be added to the list of attendees, please email us at  <mailto:bell at nfb.org> bell at nfb.org.  Please note that any individuals who do not attend one of these two training sessions will not be allowed to serve in the 2021 NFB BELL Academy In-Home Edition.

Mandatory Reporting Resource: 

Some of you have asked for some additional resources related to mandatory reporting. On  <https://www.rainn.org/public-policy-action> RAINN's website you can look up details of laws in each state related to mandatory reporting, as well as consent, sexual violence crime definitions, and a number of other legal- and policy-related aspects of sexual misconduct. I also want to share that elsewhere on  <https://centers.rainn.org> RAINN's website you can find a local, in-person sexual assault service provider by entering a state or zip code.

May Braille Monitor—Access Now:

The latest issue of the National Federation of the Blind’s flagship publication is now available. Articles include an update on our progress to make the Federation a safe space in all of its activities; a discussion about the history of Maryland as the affiliate prepares to host our 2021 National Convention; a discussion about integrating Federation activities so they do not conflict with religious holidays; a feature highlighting some of our black leaders; an article about chainsaws and missionary work; a discussion about personal boundaries, how to establish them and see they are respected; and a discussion about web accessibility and the way we deal with the challenge of getting quality access when so many sites are being created and comprise a vital part of our ability to participate in the commerce of the nation. Read the  <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm21/bm2105/bm2105tc.htm> May issue of the Braille Monitor. 

Submit an Article for the Braille Monitor—No Experience Needed:

The National Federation of the Blind is seeking articles for the Braille Monitor that focus on your lived experiences. Share a blind moment or a strategy that other blind people should know about. To learn more or submit an article, connect with Gary Wunder, Braille Monitor editor, at  <mailto:gwunder at nfb.org> gwunder at nfb.org.  

Amendment to the Endless Frontier Act from Senator John Thune:

Last week Senator John Thune of South Dakota introduced an amendment to the Endless Frontier Act that contained two important provisions to ensure that people with disabilities would be included in the design and utilization of highly automated vehicles. The first would create an exemption classification for manufacturers who “provide transportation access for individuals with disabilities (as defined in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102)), including non-visual access for individuals who are blind or visually impaired,” as long as the vehicle was equivalently safe to a non-exempt vehicle. The second would prohibit a state from issuing a “motor vehicle operator’s license for the operation or use of a highly automated vehicle in a manner that discriminates on the basis of disability.” Despite support from both automobile manufacturers and disability advocates, Senator Thune reluctantly withdrew his amendment on May 12 due to a lack of support from other senators on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee over safety and liability concerns. The Endless Frontier Act has been moved to the Senate floor for debate this week, and we believe Senator Thune will try to introduce his amendment for the full Senate to debate. Please contact your senators and ask them to support this important amendment.

Gratitude to Our Affiliates:

Thanks go to the NFB of Alabama, the NFB of Florida, and the NFB of Illinois for recent gifts sent to our national office for educational programming. We can make great strides together and affiliate contributions help. 

Recent Blog: “Thinking Fast for a Show: How I Conquered My Anxiety to Perform on Stage”:

Being a performer is no cakewalk; read Precious Perez’s experience the first time she organized a gig herself in our recent  <https://nfb.org/blog/thinking-fast-show-how-i-conquered-my-anxiety-perform-stage> Voice of the Nation’s Blind Blog. 

App Development Seminar: 

On Wednesday, June 9, the National Federation of the Blind, in collaboration with Google, is hosting an app development seminar focused on accessibility. Anyone who develops or is considering developing apps is encouraged to register for this Zoom event. The registration page will be live shortly, check  <http://www.nfb.org/cena> www.nfb.org/cena for updates.

Reminders:

Calling All Veterans:

Vernon Humphries, the president of the National Association of Blind Veterans, is looking for all veterans to include in the convention’s Celebration of Freedom. This year he is asking to receive a ten-second audio recording of each veteran introducing themself and providing a short glimpse of their service. He is requesting that you all spread the word and to assist veterans who might have difficulty in creating an audio recording. He would like to receive these at  <mailto:mr_president at nabv.org> mr_president at nabv.org before June 6. 

Dates to Keep in Mind:

(all times eastern)

*	May 20: Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) 
*	June 1: Presidential Release LIVE, 8:00 p.m. 
*	June 9: App Development Seminar,  <http://www.nfb.org/cena> www.nfb.org/cena 
*	July 6-10: NFB National Convention, anywhere and everywhere

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.