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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Good Evening Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This is going to be a bit of a lengthy update, so hang in there with me. Here are a few things you should know.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>First, I am going to be on weekly leadership calls with President Riccobono and leaders throughout the organization so updates may come more frequently based on information I receive from those calls. After the call last Sunday, the governor of Maryland ordered all nonessential businesses to close due to COVID-19 concerns. While the national organization very well could have made a case to be an essential service to the blind and remain open, as of 5pm Eastern yesterday, it was decided that the complete closure plan would be implemented. Roughly two-thirds of the staff were already working remotely in anticipation of this, so the only real disruption will be to the Independence Market and free white cane and slate and stylus programs. Those programs and the market will remain out of operation for the time being. Applications for the free white cane and slate and stylus programs can still be submitted online and will be fulfilled once operations resume. In the meantime, if you need to reach Federation staff, you can still do so through the normal channels as the rest of the Jernigan Institute’s operations are still functional remotely.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The National Federation of the Blind and Lyft have joined forces in a partnership to provide emergency transportation services as a result of the COVID-19 situation to those who need them through March 31 through a limited number of ride vouchers. If you need more information on this, please contact me directly so that I can assess need and distribute the vouchers appropriately since they are being tracked at the national level on their usage.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The national organization is putting together a collection of both federation and non-federation resources around COVID-19. You can find the most updated information from the organization at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfb.org/covid19">http://www.nfb.org/covid19</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If anyone knows of any resources that are not up there that you feel might be helpful, please let me know and I can pass them along. President Riccobono shares the following:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <span class=Heading3Char><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Accessible Executive Orders:<br></span></b></span>We have urged the governors of all states to ensure that their executive orders regarding the coronavirus emergency are posted to the internet in accessible formats that blind people using screen-access technology can easily download and read. The full press release is available on our website <a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-urges-governors-issue-accessible-executive-orders">in our Press Room</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Now, let’s talk about the national scholarship program. I’ve had tremendous response so far, and the applications are still coming in. If you have not completed yours yet, time is running out. They are due March 31, and I will need to have a conversation with any candidates who I have not talked to yet so I can send in my letters as part of the process.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Speaking of education, if you are facing issues with online course work as you transition back to school in the coming weeks, please feel free to reach out so that we can provide strategies for dealing with it. We will also be finding resources at the local, state, and national level to tackle these challenges.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To wrap this up, I need to pass on a few reminders for National Convention. First, despite what may be circulating out there, national convention is still scheduled for July 14-19 in Houston. If there are any changes, I’ll be sure to pass them along. Kenneth Jernigan scholarship applications are due by April 15<sup>th</sup>, and if you plan to apply, I need to also send a letter for those, so please contact me sooner rather than later. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and please feel free to reach out if there are any questions on any of the above information. Let’s go build the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Scott Van Gorp, President<br>National Federation of the Blind of Iowa<br>Phone: 515-720-5282<br></span><a href="mailto:svangorp@nfbi.org"><span style='color:#0563C1'>Email</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfbi.org/"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'>Website</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> <br></span></i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-Of-the-Blind-Of-Iowa-372681823082570/posts"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'>Facebook</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> <br></span></i><a href="https://twitter.com/nfb_iowa"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'>Twitter</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> <br>Live the life you want.<br></span></i><br>The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa 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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>