National Federation Of The Blind Presidential Releases - English

President Riccobono reminds us that we are two months away from our national convention. He also discusses the blindness experience teaching internship, continued calls for advocacy, an NFB investigation of the IRS, and updates from our PAC program and Dream Makers Circle.

President Riccobono recaps our protest (#LetUsPlayUs) of In the Dark, a new show on The CW, and also discusses the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship for first timers, the Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award, the new Blindness Experience Teaching Internship, our membership efforts, and more. 

President Riccobono announces that preregistration for the 2019 National Convention is now open. He also discusses the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards, the Marrakesh Treaty, a new series of blind parent podcasts, our latest policy statements, NFB summer programs, the national scholarship program, the Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, and the Dream Makers Circle.

A monthly message from Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, to be shared with every chapter of the organization. Items covered in the February 2019 release include: * Breaking news from the Washington Seminar #NFBInDC * New and improved Federation website * Promoting NFB summer programs * Launch of pilot testing for HathiTrust access program * A Dream Makers Circle update * Thank you to chapters contributing to our monthly giving program * Federation Family notes * Customary endings

Presidential Release #479: January 2019 (English Audio) The presidential release is a monthly audio message from President Mark A. Riccobono that highlights the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. It is shared with every chapter of the organization. Please listen now, or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Listen to previous episodes at nfb.org/presidential-releases. Items Covered Happy New Year World Braille Day January 4  Consumer Electronics Show (next week in Las Vegas) 2019 National Convention (book your rooms now at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino) New NFB strategic plan (in February Braille Monitor) Two new Aira plans for NFB members 2019 Washington Seminar (a message from John Paré) Dream Makers Circle update Federation Family notes Customary endings  Related Resources 2019 National Convention (Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino reservations— call 877-632-9001) Subscribe to an NFB Aira plan—call 800-835-1934 or visit aira.io/nfb Washington Seminar Dream Makers Circle Listen

Presidential Release #478: December 2018 (English Audio) The presidential release is a monthly audio message from President Mark A. Riccobono that highlights the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. It is shared with every chapter of the organization. Please listen now, or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Listen to previous episodes at nfb.org/presidential-releases. Items Covered Holiday greetings Thank you to the record number of blind voters who completed NFB's Blind Voter Survey Op-ed in The Hill about 14c (American Nightmare: How Workers with Disabilities Are Denied Economic Prosperity) Deadline for Washington Seminar rooms December 28 NFB-NEWSLINE® now available on the Amazon Echo Federation Family notes Customary endings A special song from a blind choir from Guatemala Related Resources NFB-NEWSLINE skill for Amazon Echo Washington Seminar information American Nightmare: How Workers with Disabilities Are Denied Economic Prosperity NFB Pre-authorized Contribution Plan Dream

Presidential Release #477: November 2018 (English Audio) The presidential release is a monthly audio message from President Mark A. Riccobono that highlights the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. It is shared with every chapter of the organization. Please listen now, or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Listen to previous episodes at nfb.org/presidential-releases. Items Covered Blind voters in the 2018 midterm elections and the need to capture data Alameda County, California, and equal opportunity for participation by blind voters Walmart being sued over the inaccessibility of self-service check-out kiosks Letters in Braille from Santa Claus Creating Facebook fundraisers Federation Family notes Customary endings Related Resources Santa Letters 2018 Midterm Elections Blind and Low-Vision Voter Experience Survey Alameda County press release  Walmart press release NFB Pre-authorized Contribution Plan Dream Makers Circle Listen to the November 2018 Release

Presidential Release #476: October 2018 (English Audio) The presidential release is a monthly audio message from President Mark A. Riccobono that highlights the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. It is shared with every chapter of the organization. Please listen now, or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Listen to previous episodes at nfb.org/presidential-releases. Items Covered Meet the Blind Month and White Cane Awareness Day Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act Ability One filing Urging chapters to use the pledge at chapter meetings Braille Readers Are Leaders contest National Federation of the Blind night at Orioles Park Federation Family notes Customary endings Related Resources Meet the Blind Month White Cane Awareness Day US House of Representatives Passes Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act National Federation of the Blind Sues US AbilityOne Commission Braille Readers Are Leaders contest Video of President Riccobono's first pitch at the Orioles game Listen to the October

Presidential Release #475: September 2018 (English Audio) The presidential release is a monthly audio message from President Mark A. Riccobono that highlights the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. It is shared with every chapter of the organization. Please listen now, or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Listen to previous episodes at nfb.org/presidential-releases. Items Covered It is back-to-school season. Thanks to our relationship with the American Action Fund, Braille calendars are now available. Update on the status of ridesharing companies: Lyft: We know there are some accessibility issues with CAPTCHA technology that impact submitting service animal complaints to Lyft for some people using iOS, and we have alerted Lyft to these concerns. In the meantime, Lyft does accept service animal complaints by telephone (844–250–3174). Also, we have raised several concerns to Lyft about the manner in which complaints are processed, and the outcomes of driver termination decisions

Presidential Release #474: August 2018 (English Audio) The presidential release is a monthly audio message from President Mark A. Riccobono that highlights the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. It is shared with every chapter of the organization. Please listen now, or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Listen to previous episodes at nfb.org/presidential-releases. Items Covered It's raining in Baltimore. NFB EQ and NFB BELL Academy are taking place this week in the building.  We had a successful AER strike July 26 through July 28 in Reno, Nevada. Unfortunately, accreditation is moving forward and they ambushed a resolution one of our members, who is also a member of AER, proposed. Among our priorities is that AFB was named a central nonprofit entity by AbilityOne. NIB has been working with us. We are looking to add staff members here in Baltimore. If you or someone you know want a career more than a job, want to work for the movement, and want to work in a demanding, high-energy

Presidential Release #473: July 2018 (English Audio) The presidential release is a monthly audio message from President Mark A. Riccobono that highlights the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. It is shared with every chapter of the organization. Please listen now, or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Listen to previous episodes at nfb.org/presidential-releases. Items Covered It was a great convention! The numbers were great, energy was inspiring, and the discussions were thoughtful and meaningful as always. The Presidential Report and Banquet Speech are posted on the website. We have recorded a series of PSAs. These can be found on the NFB website, as well. Announcement of location for 2019 convention (Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada) Greyhound Agreement Dream Makers Circle participants announced The Independence Market e-commerce site is down until further notice. Job Fair at convention and job at the NFB Federation Family notes Customary endings  Related Resources 2018 presid

Presidential Release #472: May 2018 (English Audio) The presidential release is a monthly audio message from President Mark A. Riccobono that highlights the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. It is shared with every chapter of the organization. Please listen now, or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Listen to previous episodes at nfb.org/presidential-releases. Items Covered Discussion of the Federation's ground-breaking settlement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Update on legislative priorities including: Marrakesh Implementation Act TIME Act and elimination of unfair wages Access Technology Affordability Act Right-to-parent efforts across the country Federation Family notes Customary endings including a salute to May the 4th Related Resources  Press release for the CMS settlement Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing from April 18 Factsheets for TIME Act and Access Technology Affordability Act Blindparents.org Listen to the May 2018 Release

Presidential Release #471: April 2018 Show Notes A monthly message about the activities of the National Federation of the Blind from President Mark A. Riccobono. Items covered this month include: * Seattle joins in the effort to eliminate subminimum wages for people with disabilities * Kenneth Jernigan Scholarships for first-time attendees of the national convention * NFB's Career Mentoring Program * Discussion of the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind * Federation family notes * Customary endings Resources: * Here is the press release regarding Seattle's move to eliminate subminimum wages for people with disabilities. * 2018 National Convention  * Submit applications for the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarships by April 15 to kjscholarships@nfb.org * NFB 6 Dot Dash Race * Sign up to be a career mentor  * April issue of the Braille Monitor   

Presidential Release #470: March 2018 Show Notes Every month, President Mark Riccobono provides a brief audio report on the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. Listen now or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Learn more about the National Federation of the Blind at nfb.org or listen to archived episodes at nfb.org/archives-presidential-releases. Items covered in the March 2018 release include: 2018 National Federation of the Blind Annual Convention July 3-8 (Orlando, Florida) Success in working with Delta Air Lines to change its policy related to service animals Special pricing exclusively for Federation members on a service plan from Aira Discussion of the organization's Code of Conduct. Federation family notes An interesting perspective related to fire on the roof Customary endings Resources: 2018 NFB National Convention Delta Air Lines press release Exclusive AIRA pricing Federation Code of Conduct

Presidential Release #469: February 2018 Show Notes A monthly message from Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, to be shared with every chapter of the organization. Items covered in the February 2018 release include: The 2018 Washington Seminar Marines and Tet exhibit at the Newseum sponsored by the NFB National Federation of the Blind legal program Notes about the Federation family Resources: Legal program Ride share testing 2018 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, March 22–23, Contact us at (410) 659-9314

Presidential Release #468: January 2018 Show Notes Every month, President Mark Riccobono provides a brief audio report on the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. Listen now or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Learn more about the National Federation of the Blind at nfb.org or listen to archived episodes at nfb.org/archives-presidential-releases.

Presidential Release #467: December 2017 Show Notes Every month, President Mark Riccobono provides a brief audio report on the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. Listen now or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Learn more about the National Federation of the Blind at nfb.org or listen to archived episodes at nfb.org/archives-presidential-releases.

Presidential Release #466: November 2017 Show Notes Every month, President Mark Riccobono provides a brief audio report on the current activities of the National Federation of the Blind. Listen now or share at your upcoming meeting or event. Learn more about the National Federation of the Blind at nfb.org or listen to archived episodes at nfb.org/archives-presidential-releases.

Mark A. Riccobono

Mark A. Riccobono