National Federation of the Blind Presidential Releases - English

September 2019

President Riccobono recaps the 2019 NFB BELL Academies and talks about National Guide Dog Month, the Braille Readers are Leaders contest for blind children and adults, Meet the Blind Month, our September open house gathering, and White Cane Awareness Day. The President also provides updates from our Dream Makers Circle.

August 2019

President Riccobono discusses the 2019 National Convention (#NFB19), including the 2019 resolutions, and talks about plans for 2020. He also discusses the introduction of the GAIN Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, Meet the Blind Month, Braille calendars, and Pedro and the Octopus. The President also provides updates from our PAC programand Dream Makers Circle.

June 2019

President Riccobono discusses the World Blind Union meeting in Trinidad, NFB summer programs, a special blind parents division seminar in Colorado, new member programs, and the national convention. Executive Director and Convention Chairman John Berggren joins the President to talk about convention logistics. The President also provides updates from our PAC program and Dream Makers Circle.

May 2019

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.

April 2019

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. 

March 2019

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.

Presidential Release #479, February, 2019

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 English: January 2019

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 to the January 2019 Release

Presidential Release #478 English: December 2018

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 Makers Circle
Listen to the December 2018 Release

Presidential Release #477: November 2018

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