This is being provided in a rough-draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings.
(Gavel)
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: The 2026 Washington Seminar of the National Federation of the Blind is now in order!
In January of 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense. What made that pamphlet revolutionary was not simply its call for independence, but the way it framed that call.
Paine did not argue that independence was heroic or dramatic; he argued that it was obvious.
He insisted that fraternal rule had lost its legitimacy, and that people long treated as dependents were fully capable of governing themselves. Reconciliation he said was no longer rationale. Independence was simply common sense.
In November of 1940, Jacobus tenBroek made a similar declaration on behalf of blind Americans. At the time the National Federation of the Blind was founded, blind people were treated much like the colonies once had been: Spoken for, managed by others, and constrained by low expectations presented as protection. Decisions about our lives were made without us, justified by charity, rather than equality; by control rather than self-determination.
Our Federation rejected that model outright.
He asserted that blind people are not wards, not clients, and not objects of care, but independent, self-directing individuals, capable of full participation in society. We insisted that blind people must speak for ourselves and shape the policies that govern our lives, reflecting the very values upon which our nation was founded.
Like Paine, Dr. tenBroek, and our founding Federationists did not ask for special status; we claimed normalcy. We claimed agency. We claimed independence and just as in 1776, that claim was not radical; it was common sense!
(Applause)
That is what brings us to our nation's capital today. Independence does not sustain itself. It must be claimed, defended, and advanced, even as our nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary.
Our laws and policies continue to be shaped by misconceptions, low expectations, and charity rather than independence for the blind. Blind Americans have come to Capitol Hill, because we expect to do what self-governing people must do: Speak directly to those who craft the rules that shape our lives. We do not come asking to be taken care of. We come insisting on equal access, equal opportunity and equal responsibility.
This proves the principle that we advance: Blind people know what we need. We know how to build solutions. We know how to lead.
Our independence is not an aspiration. It is self-evident, and it is our daily experience.
Advocating is not radical. It is common sense.
Congress needs our advice and guidance because our first branch of government does not yet include enough blind experience for our solutions to be obvious.
But do not worry, America. The blind are here to move beyond the nonsense and contribute meaningfully to achieve this nation's ideals.
For nearly a century, programs in education, employment, and independent living have been shaped through authentic advocacy by blind people themselves.
These efforts have enabled blind children to receive instruction and materials in Braille so they could grow into fully contributing tax-paying adults across every sector of our economy. These programs have supported newly blind individuals with meaningful rehabilitation, allowing them to continue offering their talents to employers rather than being forced into dependency. Independent living programs, though, dramatically underfunded, have allowed blind seniors to remain in their homes, caring for grandchildren, and living full lives instead of relying on costly custodial care.
Yet after 250 years, some claim that eliminating these programs represents progress.
We, the blind, respond clearly: Encourage our greater independence and America will receive far more in return. That is common sense.
In 2026, technology touches nearly every aspect of life.
Yet accessibility has not been built into all of the tools of modern progress. If blind people are given control over purchasing the accessible technology we need, we will unlock potential that benefits the entire nation. Independence, self-determination, and equal opportunity are not lofty policy aspirations for the blind.
They are common-sense solutions. Nearly a century ago, our nation established social security, and since 1940, mind Americans have played a significant role in making it meaningful.
Yet one policy remains glaringly illogical. Our nation encourages blind people to work, but only up to an arbitrary and inadequate earnings threshold, beyond which independence is punished rather than rewarded.
We offer a better way, a solution that strengthens independence, streamlines government oversight, increases tax contributions and encourages participation in the American dream. The Blind Americans Return to Work Act is not radical policy; it is common sense.
We come to Congress, not as partisans, but as Americans. We are not Republicans or Democrats first, not liberals, Greens, or Independents.
We are citizens who happen to be blind. Our work is not about ideology; it is about equality. We bring practical solutions grounded in lived experience, informed by responsibility and aimed at strengthening the nation we share.
By advocating together, across political lines, we affirm a fundamental democratic truth: Self-governing people solve problems best when they come as equals, committed not to politics, but to the ongoing work of forming a more perfect union.
This is how blind people come together. This is how independence is claimed, protected, and advanced.
This is how common sense becomes national policy. We are the National Federation of the Blind. And this is the significance of the Washington Seminar.
(Applause)
We've got a great crowd here in person, how about that?
And we want to acknowledge that many, many, many of our members, despite extraordinary efforts who really wanted to be in this room this evening could want get here, but they're with us in spirit.
And they're going to make sure that our work is effective in getting the changes in the laws that we want.
So thank you to all of our members who are with us on Zoom.
(Applause)
We have many of the members of the board of directors here this evening.
And the rest of them are on Zoom. We're very happy to have so many of our leaders present for this important occasion.
And a lot of times, we would start the Great Gathering-In with various interesting announcements, and that sort of thing, but we're going to bust right into the Great Gathering-In with a really important presentation.
You know, we don't use words like "champion" very lightly.
And we don't give recognition just because we like to give recognition. We do it because it's earned, and it means something to us as blind people.
And this evening, we have a very special opportunity to acknowledge a member of Congress who has proven time and time again that he is truly a champion for our rights, for our solutions, and for our lived experience.
Now, it's difficult, in the best circumstances, to get members of Congress, even if we're going to recognize them, to be here.
And that's true in the best of times.
And the weather has been extraordinary the last couple of days.
So unfortunately, the weather has prevented this gentleman from being here in person with us.
And frankly, a lot of times, when a member of Congress can't be with us in person, we just skip it, because we've got other important work to do.
But this presentation is so important, so meaningful to us, and so much a part of our history that we wanted to go forward with it anyway. So he has joined us on Zoom, and I'm going to introduce him very soon.
His leadership in Congress spans back to 1981.
But we knew him before that, because he was a primary leader in the Maryland State Legislature. He was first elected to the Maryland Senate in 1966, and he was elected president of Maryland State Senate in 1975. He now represents Maryland's Fifth Congressional District, and he has announced that he is retiring.
I know, it's disappointing.
But fortunately, with four decades in Congress, he has developed a record of legislative work and mentorship for congressional leaders and emerging leaders passing on his values, his understanding, and his work, especially with the disability community and listening to the disability community.
Two separate four-year stints in Congress, where he was elected to be the United States House of Representatives majority leader. And while he has great depth of experience, and so many legislative achievements that he has touched, time after time, year after year, really decade after decade, he has continued to be a champion for the work and priorities of the National Federation of the Blind.
I don't have a lot of it time to go through his expensive four decades of legislative achievements but let me give you some small idea of his work.
One of the things that shaped his legacy, especially as it relates to disability rights, is his central leadership role many years ago as the lead House sponsor of a small bill called the Americans with Disabilities Act.
(Cheering)
His work on that civil rights legislation and its amendments in 2008 was critical to advancing a lot of the work that this organization and our movement has done over the last 35 plus years.
But that's just one small example. He was also a champion for the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act of 2018, which, of course, has opened America up to being able to participate in digital works around the world.
And he is now continuing to work very hard on ensuring digital accessibility as a co-lead for the Websites and Software Application Accessibility Act in Congress.
Now one other small thing to mention. He was a primary champion for the Louis Braille Bicentennial Commemorative Silver Dollar, which, of course, minting of that coin after the legislation was passed began on March 26th, 2009.
Two of the Louis Braille coins were flown on STS-125 in May of 2009.
And I first had the opportunity to meet this gentleman later that year, because he participated in a ceremony that he made possible for us to be part of at, what was at the time, the new Capitol Visitors Center. I believe we were one of the first large groups to have a meeting at the new visitors center.
And that gathering was on July 31st of 2009.
After we gathered, the participants of our 2009 NFB Youth Slam at the Lincoln Memorial, we marched to the Capitol Visitors Center where we were greeted by the Congressman who I had the honor of introducing that evening.
And that evening, we were given the two coins that were flown in space which now appear prominently in our Jacobus tenBroek Research Library at our national headquarters.
Let's just a few examples of the things that this gentleman has done. Before I introduce him, I want to read the text of the award, which we will give to him in person.
We have the award somewhere.
It's my great honor on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind to present this award, which is in Braille and for equality purposes also in print, and it reads as follows.
National Federation of the Blind Distinguished Legislator Award presented to the Honorable Steny Hoyer. For your sponsorship of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, to your work on the Websites and Software Application Accessibility Act in the 119th Congress.
Your leadership and dedication to equality for all Americans with disabilities is unparalleled.
We honor you for an enduring and distinguished legacy of service and your deep belief in blind Americans. Together, with love, hope and determination, we transform dreams into reality. January 26th, 2026.
Here is the Honorable Steny Hoyer.
(Applause)
STENY: Thank you for that very, very, very too generous introduction. I was afraid you were going to go through the 44 years and people would walk out.
And I'm very sorry that I'm not there personally, but I am very pleased that you made a reasonable accommodation for those of us who have the disability of not being able to do Braille.
That was very thoughtful of you. I feel included.
And I want to thank Pam Allen your vice president and my dear, dear friend John Pare who has been such a giant in the advocacy of the national organization.
We are the NFB!
And for me, John in many respects is my voice in my ear on a regular basis of the NFB. And John, I thank you. I see you sitting down there I think right behind the podium. Stand up, John.
Let me see you.
(Applause)
As the director of advocacy and policy, you do an extraordinary job. And Mark I want a copy of your speech.
Again make the reasonable accommodations so I don't have to read it as you did.
I'll tell you this. As you were giving the speech, you had the great advantage of not having to look at a monitor or look down at a paper.
And I thought to myself boy, I wish I had that skill.
And I'm going to use a couple of the lines that you said in the remarks that I'm going to give.
But I want to thank you. I want to thank you for that introduction.
And I want to thank you all for being here tonight.
And I apologize, I'm sorry that I'm not there.
And I hope all of you get out, whenever you're leaving, and I hope that the airplanes are flying and the slush or the ice is not too great.
So I want all of you to be careful when you exit the hotel.
It's a great honor. I say that very sincerely, to receive this Distinguished Legislator Award.
Back when I started in Congress in 1981, most Americans' exposure to the blind community was through entertainers Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder. I mention them because in the song, the young woman who was singing the song, said they tell me no, no, no.
And I'm sure that's what they confronted. That's what so many of you confront and have confronted, perhaps on a too-frequent basis: No, no, no, you can't do that.
That was not true, that you can't do that. In fact, you can do almost everything.
We want to make it everything, which is why I'm focused on the Website Act, so that we can make sure that, in a technological age, you can involve yourselves in everything. And as I was listening to your speech, Mark, I was thinking "we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed with certainly inalienable rights, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." I tell people it is self-evidence, but it is not self-executing.
All of you in the room know it is not self-executing. That's why you're advocates.
That's why you are so engaged in making sure that Congress members know the challenges that you confront, know the artificial barriers that are constructed, sometimes with ignorance and sometimes, perhaps not, to shutting you out of certain aspects of that pursuit of happiness that particularly in this technological age are absolutely essential.
Some of you are probably too young to remember the charities single, We Are the World, the charity was for Africa. I love that song. That was released in 1985 with Ray, with Stevie and a host of other artists on the track, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Harry Belafonte.
We are the world. You are the world! And in that song, they sing, and I quote there comes a time when we hear a certain call, when the world must come together as one. There are people dying, and it's time to lend a hand.
You could add a line to that, there are people who can do things that are shut out, because of the barriers that are constructed.
As I said, they were raising money to provide for Africa. I like to think I heard a similar call when it came to disability rights.
Our answer to that call was the Americans with Disabilities Act.
And when I leave the Congress some year from now, I will look back on the Americans with Disabilities Act as perhaps my greatest achievement in Congress in the United States.
But I also will do so with a strong conviction that it was not my accomplishment. It was not Tony Coelho's, although he was certainly a giant in that effort.
But it was the culmination of the encourage and commitment of those who were faced with challenges on a daily basis that shut them out, that didn't recognize how they were being shut out.
It seems unimaginable today a bipartisan bill passed by a Democratic Congress and signed by a Republican president, a bill that changed not only policy, but America and global awareness itself.
For too long, people with disabilities faced stigma and discrimination in everything from housing to employment, to healthcare, to mobility, lack of transportation, and the "no, no, no," of which was sung.
The ADA confronted that prejudice and yes. Ignorance, some conscious, some not, in our society and in our institutions head on, allowing millions of people to live with greater independence, dignity, access as you said, and opportunity.
And as you added so correctly, responsibility.
So many of you took that responsibility on behalf of those who were similarly situated, who had challenges. You know, I kid that Abe Poland who owned the Washington Wizards and was a good friend of mine never asked me to play center for the wizards. Why, because I'm six feet tall, not seven feet tall.
So from his perspective at least I had a disability regarding jamming the ball through the basket, a dunk.
But like all of you in this room, you may have what is considered a quote disability, but in some ways it perhaps heightens all of your senses, and you have great abilities and great contributions to make to our country, to our communities, to our businesses, and to your families. And, of course, to yourself.
And what the Americans with Disabilities Act that you fought so successfully for and heightened the awareness of members as to what your disability meant in terms of exclusion, when I look back on my 40 years as I said, 45 years, and nearly 60 years in public service, this will be a shining example of why I ran for office, of why I involved myself.
And the feeling of accomplishment I got when I see the faces of people who now feel respected, included, and perhaps better understood.
Leading the charge of course was Tony Coelho and so many others: Ted Kennedy, Bob Dole, Tom Harken. I could go through literally many scores of legislators.
But it is those of you who were involved on the frontlines with the experience that you could then relate and had the courage to relate to members.
The struggle for disability rights has continued every year since then, as we know, it must.
And I will continue to do my part working with you to advance the efforts in my final year in Congress. Just as the ADA transformed the physical landscape of the United States to accommodate those with disabilities, we need to do the same in the digital landscape. Maybe not a place, but a digital environment.
Being able to use computer software and the internet is not a luxury; it is a necessity in the 21st century, an absolute necessity for inclusion.
And yet as you all know, many people with disabilities, especially those who are blind, still face challenges using the web. That's why, at your encouragement, that's why I introduced bipartisan legislation last year to reaffirm the ADA's requirements in existing law for accessibility applying to the digital spaces just as they do to physical places.
Please know, ladies and gentlemen, my commitment to standing up for the blind community and for disability rights will not waiver in my final months in Congress.
We're going to keep making progress on the Websites and Software Application Accessibility Act. Senator Duckworth has been a champion of that act, and I'm going to work very closely with her to make sure that that act is considered and hopefully passed.
But let me urge all of you, and you know this to be the case. To redouble your efforts at education so that people understand how you're shut out every day, because I think if they understand that as they did with the ADA, we had a tough time getting the ADA passed, but the final vote was overwhelming.
It was overwhelming, because you educated people as to what the challenges were, and the differences you could make with a reasonable accommodation, with inclusion, with opportunity. We're going to keep working to foster the same spirit of cooperation that made the ADA possible.
And as Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles sang, we're going to make a better day, a day of inclusion, a day of independence. You quoted Thomas Paine, Common Sense.
Inclusion and independence for all of our citizens makes common sense.
God bless you in your efforts. Redouble them. Let's get this done.
God bless you. Thank you very much.
I am honored by this award.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: All right. Let's hear it for Steny Hoyer!
(Applause)
Thank you Mr. Congressman for being with us.
And we look forward to finding an opportunity to be in person with you soon to deliver this plaque to you and just know that you will always continue to be present in our hearts for the leadership that you have provided and although you're leaving Congress, we know that you'll still be in the fight.
And we'll still be showing up here and maybe we'll get somebody in this audience elected to Congress to help out.
STENY: There you go. Good for you.
Thank you all.
Good night.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Thank you.
Good night.
All right.
Well, this is a good start right? We're just getting warmed up.
All right. We do have a number of other things to move to.
I mentioned dignitaries, and I do have one other champion to mention, which is this Washington Seminar is being sponsored by Waymo. And, you know, Waymo is a strong partner of the National Federation of the Blind. They're a champion for accessibility in autonomous vehicle transportation. Our relationship now goes way back to actually before it was even Waymo.
And, you know, they have really come to understand that accessibility has to be a core principle in the platform that they're developing but also that our voice is really important in terms of defining and creating and building a more perfect union.
And so we really appreciate that Waymo, in addition to working with us on autonomous vehicles, has been a primary sponsor here of our Washington Seminar, especially in a year like this when I'm sure we will be taking on some unexpected costs because of the circumstances.
So how about a big round of applause for Waymo?
(Applause)
Now, we want to talk to you about what we're doing and especially in order to involve our members who could not make it to Washington, D.C., but also to let folks know that the Federation did show up. We have a presence here on the Hill. We'll be sliding around the congressional offices.
And we want to be able to promote in that social media and other ways and also capture the stories.
So here for some brief communications announcements is the editor of our Braille Monitor, Chris Danielsen.
CHRIS: Can you hear me?
Okay. Excellent.
Howdy, everybody. I am glad to be here virtually. And boy, following Steny Hoyer, that's not a high-pressure situation at all!
But I'm thrilled to be here and what a great honor to have the Congressman with us and make that great presentation and after our president with his great presentation about Common Sense.
It's always so exciting and the Washington Seminar is a favorite moment of the year for me.
And I know it's a favorite for many of you, too.
And I know you're all glad that you could be there.
So what I would like to say, I will keep it brief, because I cannot match President Riccobono or Congressman Hoyer for eloquence.
At Washington Seminar and other times, we want all of you to be part of our many communications.
And we have not only the Braille Monitor, which I have the privilege of editing of your behalf, but also, the Podcast, Access on, and marching alone. If you listen to the first episode of that podcast, you will hear about how we were fighting for Social Security back in 1940.
And you will hear Dr. tenBroek's first banquet speech, have our blind Social Security.
Now, because of the National Federation of the Blind, we have Social Security, but we still have that barrier of the earnings cliff. So history rhymes, and we continue to advance.
Now, how do you tell your stories?
How do you become part of our many communication streams? A couple of simple ways. Send an e-mail to [email protected].
Couldn't be simpler. That can be something in writing. It can be pictures.
When you go on the Hill, and you take pictures with your member of Congress, and share those pictures and thank them for meeting with us, you can also do that on social media. The hashtag on all the social media thingies is #NFBinDC. Pretty simple. You can do that on Mastodon. You can do that on X.
You can do it on Facebook. You can tag the National Federation of the Blind on all those platforms so we'll be sure to see those posts.
Do post about your meetings. Do thank your members of Congress for meeting.
Now, importantly please do not post about what commitments, if any, the members of Congress have made, because they're very proud to support us, and we want them to be able to say that from their own offices, and we can thank them properly.
But otherwise do share your experiences, especially with your members of Congress.
[email protected], and #NFBinDC. And all of that will be part of our social media during the Washington Seminar, but it may end up in our other communication streams, as well.
And so please be engaged. And everybody who is participating in this, whether it's here in Washington or in the districts later can continue to use the hashtag and continue to send materials to [email protected] and I thank you for your participation in all of our communication efforts.
This is our movement. It's our stories. It's our advocacy, so we all need to tell it together.
Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Thank you, Chris. And a big thank-you to NFB staff. Some trudged down to DC early. Some couldn't make it to D.C. but they're helping with the Zoom and helping with other things and helping to make logistics happen. Thank you so much to our logistics crew that shipped all of our presidents down here early. So even if folks are not here in the room, our staff that is, of course, they would have loved to be here.
But they're still contributing in big ways.
So thank you to our staff. Will is here and the sound is great. So thank you Will!
Now, just a central logistics operation here at the Washington Seminar, I still call it the mercury room!
But it's room 275 for the first timers.
And we're really grateful that from Virginia, Sandy Halverson is heading this effort up.
SANDY: These darn tall people!
Well, snow and ice are not what we planned; we'll meet with Congress and do what we can.
To improve the life for blind people across the nation;
Because that's what we do in our Federation.
To defray the costs of meeting space and publications;
We're passing among you to collect your donations.
I hope we give as generously as we are able;
And don't let those buckets skip the head table!
Our friends in Zoom land can help us, too;
Credit card, donate page, you know what to do. We who work in Room 275.
Have many services that we provide.
Two kinds of NFB canes, but alas;
You can't take one with you, unless you bring cash.
If your appointments change, please let us know;
So our Governmental Affairs team will know where to go.
But how do you report what happened each day?
You'll be surprised by the number of ways.
If our seminar portal isn't your thing, Room 275 has an excellent team, eager to enter each report.
And we'll help you decide if it's long, or it's short.
If you lost something, don't despair.
Check 275; it might be there.
From 8:00 to 4:30, take calendars or packets, or claim your lost cell phone, technology, or jacket.
I think Mr. President I'll go away and find a seat. I have no more to say.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Very nice. That's right. That was pretty good for just five minutes writing that.
(Laughter)
All right. Thank you very much, Sandy. And to all the people that's working in 275, we appreciate your efforts.
Definitely, a lot of behind the scenes.
All right. We have a lot more to go through. Chris mentioned stories.
And, you know, we're creating stories this week that are building upon stories that have been told in our movement.
And our movement has committed to bring the authentic experiences and stories of blind people to life in new dynamic ways, to changing the image of blindness in public in ways that we have never imagined by going even bigger, going over further, to spark a bold initiative to bring the stories of everyday blind people, the extraordinary and the ordinary, to change the image of blindness in society, which we know continues to be one of our most pressing concerns. We're reshaping this effort into what we call Blind Unbound.
Blind Unbound is a storytelling of the National Federation of the Blind to reshape how society understands blindness.
How are we going to do that?
We're going to do that through a multiplatform public experience incorporating art, media, technology, and, of course, that will also include the National Museum of the Blind Peoples Movement.
Hopefully, you noted that last month, a member of Congress and a senator from the State of Maryland introduced a bill to designate our national headquarters as the National Museum of the Blind Peoples Movement. This is an important opportunity for us to build something bigger than before, not just a physical space, but actually, a digital space, a collaboration space where we can bring our stories, our art, our music, our media, to people in a way that we haven't before, to bring the individual stories of blind people together, to show that our individual stories are interesting, but what makes them powerful is when we work together in a coordinated movement.
This is a big, bold idea, and it's going to cost a lot of money!
But we need your ideas about what Blind Unbound should be. We need your connections. We need to know what you want it to be.
How do you want to tell the story of the Blind Peoples Movement? We're collecting oral histories, and we will be reaching out, especially to our first-timers here at the Washington Seminar to collect what your first experience was on Capitol Hill.
And maybe 30 years from now -- my first Washington Seminar was 30 years ago -- we'll be able to put that against your first experience and learn how you have grown and how you have transformed the organized blind movement. And equally important, how that movement has transformed you.
And imagine how those words, your reflections, might change the perception of blind people, not just today, but into the future. We have a lot of work to do in this area but my call for you here today is to get involved with our Blind Unbound movement, our initiative. We've already done a great job. We've gotten funding from the State of Maryland.
We got an appropriation from the federal government.
But we need many, many more millions to do and achieve our big dream.
And I will say this, because I've said it every time to you. This big idea, we have to do alongside all of the other things that we want to do.
It's not an either/or. It's a "and," right? Your involvement really important. Please share your ideas, your connections, your thoughts, dreams, imagination, [email protected].
And as we build the Blind Unbound initiative, we're going to see our stories transform society. Really exciting stuff, right?
We have a number of other presenters to talk this evening.
And I want to first introduce a gentleman who oversees the national archives of the blind peoples movement. He has played many roles in the Federation but currently serves as our executive director of Blindness Initiatives. When he comes up, I will adjust the microphone, because he is taller than I am.
Here's Anil Lewis!
ANIL: It was funny hearing Sandy say the mic was too tall. She must have followed Mark. Hey!
I just want you guys to know this Atlanta boy is not used to this weather. When it gets like this, we shut the city down! God bless you all for being here, and I want to thank President Riccobono, because there are many organizations, they just shut down in the face of all of this.
And I love that he gave us all valuable choices, because at the time, we were making this decision, we already invested our time, energy and talent to be here.
I'm glad he made it safe for people to come and for people to feel good about staying home. So thank you for that.
(Applause)
So will let me know if I'm doing something wrong to provoke that microphone.
I want to thank all of you who made the decision to come here and those who stayed home. As I was staying home, we recognize that your spirit is here with us.
So good to be here.
(Applause)
I look around this room, and I recognize that you handicapped people have come a long way! Do you guys remember that handicapped thing? Do you know where it came from?
The cap in hand, begging for a handout, and then we evolved a little bit to say we're not looking for a handout, a what? A hand up.
I'm thinking it's time out for that, too.
I love a little call-and-response.
We're at a place now where we're looking for a handshake. We want to be working together with people. We're not wanting people to do it for us. We're wanting people to do it with us.
The call-and-response I came up with is we're going to be working together, hand in hand. I want you guys to rest in the fact that as you're advocating for all of these things we're talking about, these are things that we worked for.
>> Hand in hand.
ANIL: And we're going to have to work hard to keep it. I'm going to give you some information that's going to help you to adopt a perspective. I'm presenting so I can't donate!
(Laughter)
(Audience responses)
ANIL: So as we're advocating for all of these policies that we fought to keep, I want you to understand that we've done a lot of work to continue to do this. It hasn't been people doing it for us. We've been working together.
>> Hand in hand.
ANIL: As we work to protect employment and independent living, and we educate people about IDEA, we have to recognize that we are also supporting our Braille Enrichment Literacy and Learning Academy, as well as our STEM2U program, helping students understand that yes. They can learn Braille, but getting them exposed to blind role models to teach them they're going to learn to advocate. They're going to need to work together hand in hand to continue to keep the rights that we have fought for.
We're going to make sure that we shift the paradigm of thought around blind people doing STEM in our STEM2U program and our affiliates are working together to continue to create these dynamic opportunities to make sure these students excel.
We are, President Riccobono mentioned it, a little spoiler alert, no big push. He mentioned our Youth Slam. It happened originally in 2007.
20 years ago, is a good time to celebrate the anniversary of a program like that? Look for more information. That's going to be coming for you. Our guidance is to help you understand that we want to promote what the American Printing House has done for education.
Many of you helped shape that product, the Monarch. They worked with blind people to make sure that the product they developed is going to be something that blind people can use.
And by working together hand in hand, we have produced the most phenomenal tactile Braille display that exists today. Wonderful job.
As we're talking about the services under VR, we also recognize that we're going to be supporting it through our career Quest program, our career fairs, we educate our employers at our career fair, as well as creating job opportunities for blind people.
We realize that we have to work together with those employers hand in hand to create these opportunities.
And we're also going to be launching after a long-time hiatus our NFB Summer Internship Program. We're going to be doing that, and we're going to bring students on board so that they can share in this work that we do as a Federation.
You mentioned the older blind program. Our blindness initiatives doesn't have a senior program.
But we're going to be working on that.
But in the meantime, many of our affiliates have their Silver Bells and other programs that are promoting services for blind seniors and that's how we work together hand in hand to make sure that seniors can have the independent quality of life that they deserve.
I'm not going to get distracted. We talked about the Access Technology Affordability Act. That's important, because we want to make sure we create opportunities for blind people who are going to work to get those credits.
It's so funny that they're always thinking that we're looking for a handout, right, but we're not, because what happens is we're paying our taxes as we work, supporting infrastructure that we cannot use so we should at least for the technology that we need to use that is accessible that makes us productive get some degree of tax credit.
We're asking for a handshake. Work with us together.
And when we talk about the Blind Americans Return to Work Act, that's our goal. We want to make sure that blind people can work, and we want to make sure that we can do that in a way that doesn't create any penalties or barriers from us making as much money as we possibly can.
We have work to do. We know that. We have work to do.
And I'm proud that -- I forgot to mention that in our pursuit to get quality education, we have employed through our Teachers of Tomorrow Program the help.
They are here, weathering the storm.
And they recognize that we have a way we want blind students to be taught.
And they're saying we want to learn that methodology and introduce it. They're going to work together hand in hand to create an educational environment that these students are going to cherish for the rest of their lives.
And again, a lot of work to do.
We have a lot of people who are here that are doing that work. I wanted to recognize our KJLSP. Find one of the members, and they're willing and have already been chipping in doing a lot of the work that we needed done in order to execute this.
So we have work to do, right?
And we're not afraid of doing work.
And the more hands, the lighter the work, correct? So let's go build the Federation!
>> Hand in hand.
ANIL: You guys, I love you!
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: All right, thank you, Anil. We're going to keep the agenda moving, because we have a number of things to get to and one of the individuals I want to introduce to give a brief update on the work that the Federation was not able to slide out of Baltimore but is with us on Zoom. This is our executive director for Accessibility Excellence, appearing at his second Washington Seminar!
I would like to welcome to the virtual proposed Jonathan Mosen.
JONATHAN: Thank you, President Riccobono. Good evening, Federation! I very much want to be with my Federation family in person this evening, but I can tell you that the energy and the warmth of the Federation's spirit is radiating through cyberspace so that's great.
And I would observe that this weather that we are experiencing is really character building and a first lifetime thing for me. I've had nothing like this.
What have I gotten myself into?
Now, I have to say that time like me is short. I'm with you, Sandy. Good things come in small packages.
So to sum up the state of accessibility right now, I'll borrow from a couple of famous creators. As the Beatles said, it's getting better all the time. The reason for that is we are determined, relentless, and we never give up.
And that brings me to my second creator.
We follow the advice of Mad Eye Moody from the Harry Potter universe commanding "constant vigilance." I am going to expand first on the Beatles' optimism.
At National Convention, I shared the ten guiding principles that are now the strategic foundation of the National Federation of the Blind's Center of Excellence to operationalize the strategy, we've implemented a new model, Accessibility Excellence Advocates who specialize in specific areas.
And to start with, we've prioritized two roles, education and employment and home and independent living.
You can hear interviews with our new Accessibility Excellence Advocates in recent editions of the Federation's podcast, Access On. We've hit the ground running in 2026 with subject matter expertise, persuasive advocacy skills and the capacity to make sense of this rapidly changing world of technology.
We've rebranded our training events to Access On Webinars and Seminars, and we've already announced a strong lineup of training for the first half of the year.
We have new protocols in place to improve responsiveness when you partner with CENA.
Our small team can't be a replacement for the well-resourced tech firms who know their products better than anyone, but we can point you in the right direction if you're stuck.
And we certainly want to hear about any accessibility challenges you're facing.
Recently, we announced a partnership with 11 Labs to make their subscription-based 11 Reader Premium Product available free to all members of the National Federation of the Blind. With 11 Reader, you can take text that once would have only been read, traditional text-to-speech engines and have it read by AI-cloned human voices, and there is a voice for any occasion.
Now to access this free offer, you create an account at Elevenreader.io and Eleven is spelled out, it's not digits, it's the word Elevenreader.io, you make an account and go to Elevenreader.io/NFB. You complete the form, and once we've verified your membership, we'll have them enable your free premium service.
And let me fall one important matter that falls under the constant vigilance category and discuss developments at Vispero. You can catch up with the dialogue between President Riccobono, and the recently, appointed CEO of Vispero Ronda Bassett Spears.
In brief, we're troubled by the loss of several capable blind staff who occupied key positions in the company.
Some other blind people who remain have been sidelined from prominent roles in the company. This enormous loss of institutional knowledge could translate into quality issues and the creation of features that we don't want or need.
Home annual license users have been excluded from a new AI feature, the very feature that was demonstrated to all of us at National Convention.
There are other concerns you can read about as well around licensing, and the new mandatory accounts.
JAWS is mission critical for many who use it on the job, at school, and at home. We note the attempts to communicate more clearly since we went public with our concerns, and the rollback of data collected through the mandatory accounts. That is addressed, but it doesn't address all the concerns that you have communicated to us, and that we as the organized blind movement are communicating to them.
And so there are plenty of positive things to report. There's plenty of progress. It is getting better all the time, thanks to our efforts, but when it comes to the companies who develop technology intended for our use, we do indeed practice that constant vigilance.
You might even call us Blind Eye Moody. Take care and have a wonderful Washington Seminar.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Thank you very much, Jonathan!
Now, we're all focused on the subfreezing temperatures here. Lots of ice and snow.
And it makes you think about July 4th, doesn't it?
(Audience responds)
How wonderful it's going to be! And here to talk about July 3rd and 4th and 5th and 6th and 7th and 8th is someone who had a birthday yesterday! Happy birthday!
She serves as treasurer of the National Federation of the Blind and is president of the NFB of Texas, here is Norma Crosby!
NORMA: And like Sandy, I'm going to lower this. I am not going to -- I'm not going to do any poetry.
So President Riccobono asked me to talk briefly, and so I said sure.
But he didn't tell me you're going to follow our master orator president, a champion Congressman, a poet, a technology guru and Anil Lewis. He didn't tell me any of that was going to happen!
But I do want to take a minute to talk to you and ask you a Family Feud question.
(Audience reacts)
The difference between this Family Feud question and the ones you might be used to is this. There's only one correct answer.
And the question is: Where are you going to be during the week of July 3rd through the 8th of 2026?
>> Austin, Texas!
NORMA: This is a smart group! The survey says the number one answer, 100 points! In all seriousness, I'm known for making short speeches and informal ones.
So I'll just say that we in Texas, you know, Texas in Spanish is Tejas and Tejas means friend, and we are here to welcome all of our friends to Austin, Texas, the week of July 3 through 8 to the J.W. Marriott Hotel, and we're here to welcome you to be with us that week.
I promise you'll get lots of friendly hospitality from the Texas affiliate. We're humble, but we're kind of loud.
(Laughter)
So do come and visit us in our hospitality suite in Texas! I promise you, Austin is the live music capital of the world. It's also got a lot of great barbecue, breakfast tacos and Mexican food.
And a lot of blind people who are looking forward to meeting all of you. So do come to Texas in July.
(Singing)
When I die, I may not go to heaven. I don't know if they let cowboys in! If they don't, just let me go to Texas.
Texas is as close as I've been. Y'all come!
(Cheering)
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: All right. NFB.org/convention for all the information and registration will be opening soon.
Now, where's Marcie Carpenter? I haven't had the chance to say congratulations Seahawks! I was thinking about that, because I was thinking how am I going to introduce John Pare?
It's football season.
And the team, you all are the team, but he's really our offensive coordinator. He's calling some plays. He's figuring out the right places to make sure that we're all doing the right things on the Hill to get the ball over the goal line, you know.
So here to introduce also the rest of our squad is the offensive coordinator for the Washington Seminar.
And he has served now as our executive director for Advocacy and Policy for many years as you heard, genuinely, from Congressman Hoyer. It's real that John shows up in these places and gets members of Congress to know the name, National Federation of the Blind.
Here's John Pare!
JOHN: Thank you, Coach Riccobono! Just showing up is essential. Showing up consistently is powerful.
Showing up consistently with a positive attitude is even more powerful.
That's what all of you are doing when you're here today under such difficult travel and weather situations. And as I said, I know there are many people who wanted to be here and really made heroic efforts.
I know of a number of people who started traveling, but had to turn back.
And I know that many of you there will do a great job advocating and will show the teamwork we've always shown with the combination this year of having some meetings in person, and some virtually.
This is my 23rd consecutive Washington Seminar.
(Applause)
My first Washington Seminar, I was a member of the Philadelphia delegation. That's how I felt. I had never visited Congress.
I had never been in any of the House or Senate office buildings. I came to the Great Gathering-In and received training.
And I studied the fact sheets. And to be honest, I was quite nervous.
I went to the meetings the next day, and they went smoothly.
And I was surprised. I learned a couple of things. One, I quickly realized that we know more about blindness than anyone on the Hill.
Don't be nervous. You know more!
And I also learned that our message resonates. Members of Congress like our high expectations.
They like our positive message about blindness. And our issues make sense.
So to talk about them really works out.
And I learned about how important it is and how valuable it is and how Congress values the fact that we show up year after year here in Washington.
It's not just being in Washington. Our advocacy goes on all year long. The meetings we have in the district during the year, the calls that you make, the legislative alerts that you do, the letters that we write, all contribute to our yearlong advocacy and our message that we show up.
We've had a busy year this year.
So it's not just Washington Seminar. And do you have heard about the issues, but we have a total of 12 bills that we have helped get introduced over the past 12 months since the last Washington Seminar.
We sent out 14 legislative alerts. I think that's a record for us in one year.
And you have responded in force with making calls and sending e-mails. We have done 12 policy letters. President Riccobono has sent 12 policy letters that are on the web if you would like to see. They're listed in reverse chronicle order meaning the most recent is on top.
12 I think that's also a record for us.
And responded to six official regulatory responses. Those are also on the web.
We have also most recently defended the Randolph-Sheppard Program.
Many of you had meetings. We asked everyone to have a meeting in the district.
And I know that many of you did. Maybe mostly everyone did.
And there was about 12 affiliates that would be helpful, that were part of the committee, and we wanted them to come visit their senators.
And they did. The thing to keep in mind is we are like NATO.
When you attack one of us, you attack all of us. So we fought and continue to fight, and we're making a difference in defending the Randolph-Sheppard program.
The president of the NFB of Alaska came. And both senators came in person, Senator Sullivan and Senator Murkowski.
And they were both there in person. I remember the president was there, and they know each other well.
Part of that we said to the senator, we have the congressional reception coming up, and we need a room and a sponsor.
He said I would be happy to sponsor the room. He directed his staff to work.
And he said he would work to defend the Randolph-Sheppard program and our other issues.
And we brought up the Access Technology Affordability Act and he said am I on that?
I'm not? Get me on that now.
And literally a couple of hours later we got a call saying that they just got an urgent call from Senator Sullivan's office to get him on the bill.
Showing up makes the difference.
So looking back on the 23 years, if I was going to reflect, I would say our enthusiasm is infectious and members of Congress appreciate our positive attitude. Let's continue that.
Our teamwork is what makes such a difference. And especially at this Washington Seminar where so much is changing, and we have to work together to help each other.
Somebody didn't have a room the other night and another member here said well, you can room with me. That's the kind of teamwork and personal friendship that we are known for that makes a difference in the National Federation of the Blind. And our high expectations for ourselves and our organization, that's what makes a difference.
All right.
We're going to go through three issues. Let's start with protecting education, employment, and independent living for the blind mooch here is Dr. Justin young.
JUSTIN: Thank you, John. Good evening, everyone. So protecting education, employment and independent living for the blind is what we're calling this first issue.
It has five issues in one.
So I would say your personal stories are vital for all of our issues. And this one particularly, because we want to illustrate that these five programs, three of them being laws and two being funding-related programs, that they are vital to us, they are critical to us and they help us be productive members of our own communities.
These five are the Individuals with Disability Education Act which relates to IEPs and ensuring that we have a free and appropriate public education for blind students, getting the Braille instruction, the access technology training and cane travel to ensure that we have those skills that we need to be productive.
Employment, that's where the Rehabilitation Act comes into play.
Also within that, it helps us get access to adjustment to blindness training, if we want to go to a training center.
The Randolph-Sheppard program which John talked about has been under attack over the last year. We've shown up over the last year, advocating to ensure that this doesn't go away on army bases and any other branch of the federal government or military.
We also want to ensure that older individuals who are blind, that program is funded more adequately. It hasn't been for many years. The appropriation bills have been passed in the house. They're working on them in the Senate, but we have made our position clear that it's not been adequately funded to ensure that blind Americans who are older have those appropriate skills, resources to be successful in whatever they choose to do.
And then the final program is related to the American Printing House for the Blind, a strong partner in the work that we've done on the Monarch, and has given accessible technology, Braille materials for over 100 years now.
We want to ensure that is adequately funded, as well. These are programs that are important to us as blind people.
While we're on the Hill this week, we need to make sure that we make the position clear that we are subject matter experts in blindness. These are programs and laws that we depend on to live the lives we want, and we can ensure they are maintained for us today and those in the future.
And the thing I want to say, those personal stories, there are a few in the fact sheet. We have material related to the Randolph-Sheppard program, which is a letter written by President Riccobono to the chairs and ranking members of the Armed Services Committee for the House and the Senate illustrating our position on why Randolph-Sheppard is important and needs to be maintained and included going forward.
And so any personal stories that you have related to Randolph-Sheppard or the IDEA or voc rehab, all those are vitally important to illustrate the importance of why we need to protect the education, employment and independent living programs for blind Americans.
Thank you so much.
(Applause)
JOHN: Thank you, Justin. I'm going to talk a little bit about the Access Technology Affordability Act. When you talk about this bill, the first thing you want to do is educate members of Congress about what access technology is.
Screen reading software, you can talk about that, but especially if you have a refreshable Braille display, or a notetaker or something physically right there, hard copy Braille that was created by a Braille embosser, those are great things to describe and show, especially the technology and talk about how important this technology is, what a difference it makes in your life, especially as it supports your employment and the work that you do from home.
And then after you have them convinced that specialized technology is important, mention how expensive it is.
It's hard for blind people to be able to afford this important technology.
And we need this technology, because we need it to help us do our jobs, apply for a job, and keep a job.
That's what this technology will help do.
Now, we asked Mathematica, a well respected economic analysis firm, to do an independent analysis about whether or not this bill could potentially save the federal government money, or whether it would have a net cost to the federal government.
And they said they would do it, and they did. We hired them to do it, but they said they would do a completely independent analysis and would put a report on their letterhead which they did.
You have a copy in the packet. You just have the first page, the executive summary and that executive summary says that this bill would save the federal government 315 million dollars over a five-year period. That seems to be a no-brainer now.
This bill saves the federal government money, and it helps us keep the access technology that we need to live the lives we want. It's a win-win.
Now, this report came out late last year. It didn't impact the advocacy so much at last Washington Seminar, because the bill wasn't introduced yet.
But now is the time we can really capitalize on this because the Access Technology Affordability Act is introduced both in the House and the Senate.
The bill creates a 2,000 dollar refundable tax credit for use over a three-year period. The credit could be used by the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse or a dependent for qualified access technology.
It is in the House. It's HR1529.
We're up to 46 co-sponsors. It's sponsored by representative Mike Kelly, a well respected Republican from Pennsylvania, and Michael Thompson, a well-respected Democrat from California, introduced on February 24th of last year. On the Senate side, it is sponsored by Senator Boseman. It is S1918.
We only have four co-sponsors right now, but I know that you all are going to do a great job getting that number up.
It was introduced in May 22, 2025. The key would be on the Senate side if people, when you mentioned the four co-sponsors, it hasn't been introduced all that long, and we're working now to really educate people on the Mathematica analysis and the value of the bill and how it would improve employment. That's why the score is what it is and how it would improve employment for blind Americans when this is needed.
It would help us do many of the things you'll hear about with the Blind Americans Return to Work Act in terms of helping us move off SSI and SSDI and paying more into the system.
Now, the committees on the House side, it's Ways and Means Committee. That chairman is Chairman Jason Smith from Missouri.
And it's the Ranking Member Richie Neil from Massachusetts.
Same thing in a minute from Jesse. The ATAA and Blind Americans are both assigned to the same committee. That makes it a little bit easier to keep these things in mind.
On the Senate side, it's referred to the Finance Committee.
And there is Mike Crapo of Idaho, the chair and Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon is the ranking member, the lead Democrat.
So if you want to really spend a lot of time on these two issues, and you'll hear similar things from Jesse. That's a quick rundown on the Access Technology Affordability Act.
Let's hear about the next point from Jesse Shirek, our new director of advocacy.
JESSE: All right. Thank you, John. Federation advocates: In 2020, I was a newly elected state affiliate president.
And I found myself in Washington, D.C., representing North Dakota. I was the only one there from my state and to be honest with you, I was terrified, because I had never sat across the table from a member of Congress or their staff, and tried to persuade them to take action. I didn't come to D.C. feeling continent. I didn't come with years of experience advocating. I came, because I believed in our mission.
And if I didn't speak up, nobody else was going to tell our story from North Dakota.
But here's the thing. Our movement was ready for me. The National Federation of the Blind didn't just send me into those meetings and wish me luck.
The Federation trained me. It equipped me. It gave me the tools to succeed. John Pare and his four P's taught me the secret to the perfect congressional meeting, something that made advocacy feel less like a mystery and more like a skill that I could actually learn.
I wasn't going into those offices alone, either. Our former Braille Monitor editor Gary Wunder went alongside me to the appointments, encouraging me and helping me find my voice. And because of that training, because of that support, we were successful.
We were able to get two of our members of Congress to sponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act.
That's the story I usually tell, to explain what happens when blind people show up and advocate with confidence.
But there was another part of my story that I didn't tell anyone at the time. I had a secret, and I'm going to tell you. While I was walking the halls of Congress asking lawmakers to expand opportunity for blind people, I was personally trapped by one of the biggest barriers in our entire system: The earnings cliff.
At the time, I owned a small business, I taught blind people how to use JAWS and Voiceover, and I built accessible websites. I had clients, I had skills, and I had ambition, and I had more work that I could take on.
But I wasn't thinking about how to grow my business. Instead, I was forced to focus on something that never should have been the goal: Making sure that I did not make too much money.
I had maxed out my earnings potential, not, because my business couldn't grow, but because of policy.
Substantial gainful activity, one phrase, shaped my choices, more than it ever should have.
It wasn't the market that limited me, it wasn't my work, it was fear, fear that if I earned too much, I would lose the support that my wife, and I depended on, that my future ability would be put at risk.
And at that time, I didn't even realize how much work our movement had already done to fight against the injustice. I didn't realize how heavily we had been pushing to replace the earnings cliff with something that supports work. I suffered in silence.
I smiled through meetings. I talked about opportunity and independence and inside, I was constantly calculating how close I was getting to that cliff, how much was too much, whether taking on one more contract would put everything at risk.
That is not freedom. That is not opportunity.
It is not what any of us should have to live with.
Eventually, I realized I had to escape the earnings cliff, if I wanted a real future.
And the choice that I had to make was extreme. In the middle of the pandemic, I sold my house.
My wife, Sherry, and I packed up our lives and moved across the country to New Mexico. I love New Mexico. The community I knew I left behind stability. I took a risk on a job I wasn't sure about in a place that was unfamiliar during one of the most uncertain times in modern history.
It worked out. It truly did. Sherry and I wound up exactly where we needed to be.
But I want to be very clear.
Nobody should have to make that decision. Nobody should have to move across the country, sell their home and gamble their future just to be allowed to work and earn.
We should all be able to work as much as we want without fear, without penalty, and without putting our future security in danger.
That is why we are here.
That is why we advocate, and that is why we must act now. So you're here virtually or in person, I'm asking you to tell Congress something simple and powerful. We must replace the earnings cliff with a gradual phaseout.
Here's what that means.
Starting at substantial gainful activity, 2,800 dollars. We should move to a system where blind people keep more of what we earn and gradually reduce benefits, instead of dropping them off a cliff. Under the new system we would give back $1 of benefits for every $2 earned over SGA, similar to the way that SSI works. This is not radical. This is reasonable. It's fair and long overdue.
And to make it even more practical and achievable, it will begin as a ten-year demonstration project. That means every blind person will have the opportunity to earn as much as we want, build our careers, build our businesses and use our talents to the fullest potential without the system punishing us for success.
Now, I want you to understand something else. We're not fighting this battle alone.
Please tell Congress that this initiative is supported by the commissioner of the Social Security Administration. Think about that. The commissioner of the Social Security Administration supports giving blind Americans a real opportunity to succeed. We have included a letter from our House sponsor Pete Sessions to Jason Smith the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee that details that support.
I have to tell you that I cannot imagine why many would object to this. Commissioner of Social Security is favor of giving blind Americans the true opportunity to work, earn and thrive.
What excuse is left for continuing a system that punishes achievement? This is the moment.
This is our opportunity.
And I want to close with something personal. On my first day of work with the National Federation of the Blind, Sherry told me something that I will never forget. She said go out and change our future.
And that is exactly what we, the National Federation of the Blind, are doing every day. So when you are sitting across from a member of Congress, speaking to staff on Zoom, or making a simple phone call, I want you to remember: Tell Congress to support the Blind Americans Return to Work Act. Tell them to replace the earnings cliff with opportunity. Tell them that blind people are ready to work, ready to contribute and ready to build lives of independence and let opportunity be for all.
Thank you.
(Applause)
JOHN: That was terrific.
All right. We have one last presentation.
There's a lot of logistics that goes with all of this. You've heard about the really nice stories. Let's try to go through some logistics. Here, our master of logistics that helps support Sandy is Kyle Walls.
Kyle, over to you.
KYLE: All right, thank you, John. Logistics. That has been a word this year.
So as I'm most of you have learned, the snow has brought its own set of logistical challenges. If you are here and you were brave enough to venture out yesterday, you probably got snow in your hair, in your face, in your clothes, in your boots. I even heard, and I won't name names, a story of someone who had snow in their hotel room.
Okay.
Fine I will name names. It was me.
Nonetheless, we're here, because you all, to borrow one of John's four P's, are persistent.
And we're not going to do that again, if you were here a few years ago, you know what I'm talking about.
So to get down to the nitty-gritty. Room 275, if you were hoping to visit it today. You are too late.
But the good news is it will be open tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. and will be open until 4:00 p.m. It will be open again on Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. and on Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. You might ask what can I do in room 275? One of the most important things you can do is pick up your packets for your meetings on the Hill this week.
A quick description.
On the left-hand side when you open it up, are our three fact sheets with a legislative agenda as a cover page. On the right side of the packets are a brochure, a letter from President Riccobono regarding the Randolph-Sheppard program, the Mathematica cover sheet for the ATAA dynamic score, the letter from representative Sessions regarding the Blind Americans Return to Work Act, and our scholarship flier for this year.
Also in 275 are fact sheets. We have these in both Braille and print.
So pick those up, if you haven't looked at them on the website.
Go ahead and pick those up and study them. Very important to know the issues for the coming week. We also have agendas for the Washington Seminar this year both in Braille and print, as well, although at this point much of that has been changed.
I don't know how effective those are anymore. We also have when you pick up the packets, you will get the individual member of Congress information sheets. There is one for each member in your state. So that's both House and Senate.
You will have two copies of those, two in print, two in Braille.
And on those you will get the name, state, district, what you should be thanking the member for, if they're a sponsor or co-sponsor or in support of legislation, and what committees they're on. If they are on any committees relevant to the issues.
You can also drop off business cards from any staffers to meet with this week on the Hill.
You can do that in 275.
Now, that we've gotten past 275, if you have not done so, please continue to enter your meetings in the portal. I know many of you have. I get an e-mail for every single meeting that goes in there so I know how many of you have done it, or not, correct, right.
Once you've had your meeting, you can go ahead and use that same portal to enter the ratings.
So our ratings are yes, no, undecided, or not discussed. If you got a very firm positive relaxation yes from the staffer or the member of Congress, and they said yes. We want to co-sponsor this legislation.
If they were very firm in the opposite direction, enter that as a no. I suspect most of you will be using that undecided option because members of Congress can be pretty cagey. If you got to talking about two of our issues and didn't make it to the third, go ahead and put not discussed for that third issue. There is also space for additional comments.
Use it. Good measure. Good measure of how they felt. Use this for the questions if you met with a specific staffer, and they were very interested, but not willing to make a decision.
And if you do not feel comfortable using the portal, go ahead and send any meeting or rating information to [email protected] or call room 275 directly at 410-659-9314, extension 2750. See what we did there?
All right.
Next, item I want to get to is the congressional reception.
And this will be tomorrow. That is Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. If you look in the agenda, it will state that it is in Russell 325, the Kennedy Caucus room. Don't believe that. That is not true.
It is now in Hart902. On the 9th floor of the Hart Senate office building, and you want to use the north elevators to get there. The South elevators do not go that far up.
We will also have a table at the congressional reception just outside where you can give your staff business card.
You can drop those off there if you don't make it to 275 tomorrow evening in time.
And the last item I have here is our Wednesday night debrief. That will be in this very room. So that is where you can come and talk to us about any issues you've heard, any major questions that we're getting.
And we'll figure out a strategy moving forward on how to address those. So that is all I have. Thank you very much.
JOHN: Thanks, Kyle. Just keep in mind tomorrow is likely to be challenging. Be polite and persistent, and let us know how things -- if you have meetings canceled, keep the portal up to date, if you can.
Let room 270 know if you can. We plan to accompany you to some meetings. If your team is a lot smaller and you could use some support, if you could e-mail me and/or give me a call or any of the Government Affairs people, Jesse, Justin, Kyle or Lindsey. Let us know, and we'll do our best to try to give you some support.
That's everything, President Riccobono. Back to you!
(Applause)
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Thank you so much to our Government Affairs group. Let's give them another round of applause!
(Applause)
Thank you also to Lindsey, serving as my left hand over here and doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work.
Yeah.
So just a few more things to talk about now.
You know, we love our students right? We're growing up the next generation. Wow. Really?
I think we love our students more than that! And our students need help raising money.
And so I've agreed to be an auctioneer for them. You should make sure to come this evening, especially bid on the things that I'm auctioning off!
But in terms of raising money, we passed the bucket for this gathering.
But we need to raise money all year round.
And a primary way that we do that is through our preauthorized contribution program.
We're grateful to have our chairperson from Illinois here, live in person, so here is Marilyn Green!
MARILYN: Greetings my Federation family! As President Riccobono mentioned, I'm from the State of Illinois, but I'm also from a city called Chicago! Yeah!
So Mr. Anil Lewis, I know how the weather feels outside. We know 35 below, don't we, Chicago?
But my Federation family, I am so happy to be here, because it's warm right here in the National Federation of the Blind!
And it's warm because of the members of the National Federation of the Blind.
It's warm, because each and every month, so many of you donate your hard-earned dollars to our preauthorized contribution also known as PAC.
Yes, how many PAC-sters do I have in the room?
(Audience responding)
All right, all right! So if you don't know what PAC is, it's a way to make a monthly contribution to our national organization so that you can continue to feel the warmth and the love of this great organization.
Do you want to know how to do that?
I'm so glad you asked! You can go to www.NFB.org/PAC. You all are so smart!
P-A-C, slash PAC. You can also, if you're not so technically inclined, you can call 877-NFB-2PAC also known as 877-632-2722.
Your dollars go so far in us living the lives that we want. If you're not able to donate, phone a friend. I know you've got friends. I know you've got family members.
Tell them about the work that we do in the National Federation of the Blind. Tell them how this movement has changed your life. Everybody here is a member of a chapter, right?
You're a member of a division, right?
But I know you're a member of the PAC right? So when you go back home, tell the president of that chapter, division or affiliate, to raise their PAC contribution, or maybe if they're not already on it, tell them to start one! And what do they do to start a PAC contribution, y'all?
NFB.org/PAC, or 877-632-2722.
But I want you to know, I had a recent conversation with my friend, my border neighbor as I call them, Mr. Ben from Wisconsin. Ben told me, he was upset. Ben was upset. For those of you who know Ben, if he's upset, something is really happening.
Let me tell you what happened.
I'm so glad you asked that question!
And I didn't even plant her in the audience, I didn't! So you know, at the National Convention, who was there in New Orleans, Louisiana?
(Audience responds)
There's a little competition that we have there. There's a PAC rat, there's a PAC nerd, and at one point in time, the great state of Wisconsin where Mr. Ben is state president at, they were leading to win the PAC rat! They were leading for a long time.
And then you know what happened?
>> What happened?
MARILYN: Tennessee came and snatched the RAT and Ben told me. Ben used a similar word. Right now, seven months later, Ben is still upset about that.
Ben want to take that rat home. He wanted to run it all around. He wanted to share it with his Federation family over in Wisconsin and display it at the convention, they're having in the spring.
But Ben wanted me to let you all know that he's still upset about not getting that rat.
But he also told me to let you all know that he has a convention coming up this spring.
And there are some other states that have a convention coming up this spring. Are there any in this room?
(Cheering)
MARILYN: Ben told me to tell you. He's ready. Wisconsin is ready.
If there's somebody who's willing to compete against the State of Wisconsin, he's throwing down the gauntlet, y'all! So is there any state that wants to take up that? Nebraska can do it! I heard my friend Jamie.
I knew Jamie. She likes to compete. So Ben, you've got a competition!
All right.
Now! And Ben is quiet. I've been told I'm loud.
But I heard Ben all the way up here.
(Laughter)
So this spring, we have a lot of other conventions happening. We have about 20 conventions, I think. So don't just let Ben and Jamie and their states of Nebraska and Wisconsin get in the mix.
We've got a bunch of other states. Get in the mix! Don't just leave PAC for national convention. Start packing now like my friend Izzy from South Dakota.
Start packing now so we can live the lives we want.
But you know what? I can sing it for you better than I can talk to you about it! So my Federation family, I want you --
(Singing)
Get on the PAC plan today, we need your contributions right away. Funding our movement, it must be done! So all our battles can be won!
Get on the PAC plan!
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: And I do encourage you to get on the PAC plan. One of the things the PAC plan helps out with, there's scholarships, right? Scholarships for students, and we haven't yet said, all of you are going to be promoting scholarships with our members of Congress so they can push it out to their constituents that the National Board a month ago made the decision to change the scholarship program to raise the base amount to 10,000 dollars apiece.
That's a great reason to raise your PAC plan or get on the PAC plan.
And if you want to continue to support the students, you can show up at 8:30 tonight, 8:30. The auction will start.
Now, if you're not with us, you can also tune in online.
You can get the Zoom information at our National Association of the Blind Students website. There will be a number of great packages, you will be able to bid, whether you're online, virtually participating, or in person. You'll definitely want the packages that I'm auctioning off on behalf of the students, because they're going to be great.
Now, there are some other packages that are pretty good, and you should bid on those as well, because it's for the students, right?
And some of those will be auctioned by Qualik Ford from Maryland, and his packages are pretty good!
But bid high on his packages, because it's for the students, right? Bid high for the students.
Just bid a little higher on mine, because they're better packages.
But, you know, it's all for the students.
And I don't know why Utah didn't get in that PAC challenge, but it's probably because the packages aren't as good in Utah, I don't know!
(Audience reacts)
But there might be another auctioneer who we'll announce later. Show up at 8:30. You're not going outside anyway, right? You're not going outside.
If you're in this hotel, you want to be there at 8:30 to bid on it, the students, got to support the students.
Seriously, whoever wins this auction competition, it's about the students, but I want you to help me out and win.
So we've got two more presentations and one of them also comes from Chicago and I know she'll be bidding on packages for the students, because she's a great supporter of the students, our Director of Outreach.
A quick set of announcements for you.
Here's Patti Chang!
PATTI: I don't know how to follow any of this. You don't want me to sing, I don't have a poem ready, and I don't know how to dance for you on Zoom. I'll go quick.
I got that.
So I wanted to talk to you just about ways to give and let me start by thanking everyone who contributed, was able to contribute and put money in the bucket.
If you weren't able to do that, and you're still able to contribute, we, of course, have our ways to give page, and I want to especially highlight a new way to give. I'll tell you a really quick story, I promise it's quick.
Three years ago, we got contacted by an entity that does meals online, and the first thing we did was assess their accessibility. We told them we weren't interested, because their front-facing stuff was not anywhere near accessible. Well, they called us up again last year, and the first thing they said, and this shows how advocacy matters, each individual person that advocates. They said the first thing they said was we are now WCAG compliant and we'll let you test us.
Now will you think about partnering with us?
So we have added to our repertoire of ways to give, and there are lots of ways to give, even if you don't have it out of your pocket we have some roundup programs, check out the webpage. We have added Free Will to our ways to give.
So the way Free Will works is you go to Freewill.com. You can write your will on Freewill.com, and it will ask at some point if you wish to also contribute to a nonprofit. Of course, you can contribute to any nonprofit that you believe in. We partner with Freewill in hopes that you will consider giving to the National Federation of the Blind so that we can continue to be vigilant for generations to come.
The last thing I want to emphasize to people is if you need a way to give, and you're not comfortable doing so online, please don't be afraid to call our giving line, which is 2430.
Our donation line is 410-659-9314, extension 2430. Mr. President, I did keep it short!
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Thank you very much, Patti. Really appreciate it.
And I'm sure you might be tuned in to the student auction later.
So we might hear you later.
John Pare has one other quick announcement, and then I have one more thing before we adjourn.
JOHN: All right. So I've had a couple of people tell me that Office of Personnel Management has in the last half-hour put an e-mail out that the federal government in the Washington, D.C. area is closed tomorrow.
Now to what degree that affects, that's more the executive branch. It's possible that the legislative branch will follow their lead. When we checked earlier today, congressional reception, we talked to a number of people, and they all reconfirmed the congressional reception tomorrow.
I assume we're going to need to reconfirm it again. We'll probably do that first thing tomorrow morning.
You probably should reconfirm your meetings before you try to get over there. So confirm, doublecheck.
It's possible that there will be more cancellations, I'm sorry about that but doublecheck. It's also possible. A lot of times, this decision is being made on an office by office basis.
And also the House has less demand to be in session tomorrow so it's more likely House meetings would be moved to virtual or postponed.
And then the Senate, which has an urgent need to come into session, because they have to pass the bill that would prevent the government from shutting down at the end of this week.
So I think they're going to feel pressure to come in and as a result, the Senate is more likely to be open. Still have some Senate meetings and still have the congressional reception.
We'll communicate any changes via e-mail and other methods, and if you get messages from us, please spread the word. Thanks for your patience, and this just came in. Thank you, President Riccobono.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: One thing that will not be canceled is the student auction tonight, because we're here, right? We're here.
And, you know, I said Qualik Ford, one of the other auctioneers.
He's never beaten me in my national office so please come.
The other auctioneer is the president of our NFB of Utah, and you should bid on his packages, too. They're nice packages. They're good.
Bid high. Just not too high. Bid high.
But also we've got some awards to tell you about real quickly before we adjourn and get ready for 8:30 student auction, or you can participate online by visiting the National Association of Blind Students Website.
Here is Everett Bacon!
EVERETT: Thank you, Mr. President. How many of you have heard of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin awards? These are given out to individuals and organizations who are making a difference, a powerful force in the lives of blind people. These awards recognize champions of blind people. These awards could be given to blind people, to blind organizations, or to entities that make products or do services for blind people.
So it's a wonderful award. It's a cash award and you can get an awesome plaque and you'll be recognized at our national convention in Austin! That's right. So how you apply for this award.
You apply by going to NFB.org, go under scholarships and awards, the very first option is the Dr. Jacob Bolotin award. And you can then do the application, if you're applying for somebody, or you're applying for yourself, either way.
And then we also ask for at least one recommendation letter. We'll take more, but we want at least one.
So your application, and a recommendation letter. You can also send questions to [email protected].
So let's continue, and let's build the National Federation of the Blind, and let's do that by recognizing people who have done awesome things for blind people. Thank you!
(Applause)
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: And you can come learn more from Everett at the student auction tonight in congressional ballroom, especially distract him while someone else is auctioneering, 8:30. He'll be there. You can talk to him about the award.
I do hope sincerely that you all come to support our National Association of Blind Students. Makes a huge difference that you show up, and there's obviously fewer of us here so it would make an even bigger difference. I'll see you at 8:30. Congressional ballroom for a couple of hours of supporting our students.
Otherwise, we will stand adjourned until tomorrow when we take over Capitol Hill!
(Gavel)