News & Updates

State Convention Announcement

The National Federation of the Blind of Georgia invites you to join us for our annual State Convention, to be held October 13- 15, 2017 at the Holiday Inn Airport North, located at:
1380 Virginia Avenue
Atlanta, GA
30344

Room rates are $89 for standard rooms, (doubles, or king, and suites will be $119.

The above prices do not include taxes and other charges.

You can reserve your room by calling 404-305-9990 or click here to visit the hotel website.

Make sure you use the Group Block Code NFB.
The deadline to book a room is September 22, 2017.

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines blind people or our future. Every day we work to raise expectations for blind people, because low expectations create barriers between us and our dreams. Join us in raising expectations for blind Georgians so we can live the lives we want!

More information is on the way!! This year’s State Convention is expected to be a unique experience as we move forward on our quest to BUILD THE FEDERATION!!!
UPDATES VERY, VERY SOON SO SAVE THE DATES!!!

CCEC June Meeting

Cobb County Empowerment Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia (CCEC NFB)

Empowerment is the mechanism by which individuals, groups and communities gain mastery over their affairs. CCEC NFB meets on the third Saturday of each month. On Saturday, June 17, 2017, we will put our focus on the upcoming 2017 NFB National Convention taking place in Orlando Florida, July 10-15, 2017. It is not too late to attend the largest gathering in the world of the blind, sight impaired and those rendering services to our community. We will:

  • Give an agenda overview
  • Discuss convention scheduling 
  • Talk about travel and safety tips 
  • Share “Must-see and Do’s for first time attendees

When: Saturday, June 17, 2017
Where: Marietta Main Library, 266 Roswell Street, Marietta GA
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Do not miss this opportunity to find out what to expect when the movers and shakers in the community congregate! For more information, please call our office at 678-883-2232.

Empowerment Brunch 2017

brought to you by the Cobb County Empowerment Chapter

You have heard about the Cobb County Empowerment Brunch for years and not made it.  You have been regaled by stories of how members and non-members of the blind community come away changed for the better. 

Keri Kokayi, our keynote speaker has credentials to fill coliseums; but in this intimate setting, Mr. Kokayi opens doors to success in the minds of the blind community.

 The Empowerment Brunch will be held on February 18, 2017 at The Golden Corral located at 3845 Austell Road, Austell GA 30060 at 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM, This time space is limited so please RSVP at 678-883-2232. Please Note: Attendance is $10.00 which includes brunch. Feed your body, Fuel your mind and Expand your territory!

 If you can’t make it, Fedora Outlier, LLC will be streaming it live on Periscope…more details to follow.

 

February Gwinnett Family Chapter Meeting

Join the Gwinnett Family Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind Saturday, February 4, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at:
Bunten Road Park,
3180 Bunten Road,
Duluth, Georgia
30096
in the park building conference room. 

Activities will be mobility & Cane travel, bring family and friends for a sighted guide lesson and help in the planning of quarterly social activities for 2017.

Transportation, only for Gwinnett County residents, will be offered by contacting Ms. Shannon Scott at 404.275.2081
For further chapter information, call   Jo Ann Johnson, Acting President at 770.962.5783    

the 2017 mission of the NFB Gwinnett Family Chapter is to stay empowered and incorporate blindness mini training sessions at each monthly chapter meeting on topics that provide independence and blindness skills along with quarterly social activities. 
Please join us and let your needs be known.  Invite family, friends, neighbors and co-workers, because we guarantee there is something to be learned by all.

SEE YOU SATURDAY!

Washington Seminar Information on NFB-NEWSLINE

It’s that time of year again! Washington Seminar is next week in DC and the nation’s blind will be visiting the capitol. The Washington Seminar is an annual event of the National Federation of the Blind to introduce the agenda of blind Americans–the priority issues requiring congressional attention over the coming year. The issues are selected from official positions of the Federation and may address concerns in the following areas:

  • relevant civil rights issues;
  • educational programs and services;
  • rehabilitation of the blind for competitive employment;
  • the operation of vending facilities by blind persons on public property;
  • specialized library services for the blind;
  • the organization and funding of federal programs;
  • Social Security and Supplemental Income programs;
  • and other timely topics.

    Approximately three legislative initiatives are chosen for priority attention during the Washington Seminar.
    We have posted the NFB 2017 Washington Seminar Agenda and Fact Sheets on NFB-NEWSLINE, under the NFB National Channel.
    To reach this information using the telephone access method, press one from the main menu for National Channels and NFB-NEWSLINE Information, then one for NFB National Channel, and then press five to read the NFB 2017 Washington Seminar Agenda or press six to read the NFB 2017 Washington Seminar Fact Sheets.

To reach this information using the free NFB-NEWSLINE Mobile app, choose Publications, Publication Options, All Publications, and find the NFB 2017 Washington Seminar Agenda or NFB 2017 Washington Seminar Fact Sheets.

Safe travels to those heading to DC. If you are interested in how you can get involved, contact your local state NFB affiliate. A list of these can be found on the NFB.org website at www.nfb.org, slash, state, dash, and, dash, local, dash,organizations.

National Federation of the Blind Applauds Issuance of “508 Refresh” Regulations

The National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s leading advocate for blind Americans to gain equal access to information and technology, today applauded the publication of new technical standards to bring information and communication technology (ICT) into compliance with section 508 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973, which requires government agencies and contractors to make their electronic information and technology accessible to the blind and others with disabilities.

Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:

Information and communication Technology has changed a great deal since the last Section 508 regulations were issued, and has become an even more integral part of everyday life. Yet blind people, particularly blind federal employees, continue to struggle with access barriers when interacting with electronic and information technology used or procured by federal agencies.

For these reasons, we are extremely pleased that the new Section 508 standards have finally been published. Government agencies and contractors should now understand how to make information and services accessible to the blind, allowing federal employees to perform their job functions effectively and other blind Americans to exercise our rights and responsibilities as citizens.

In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require Federal agencies to make their ICT accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, open new opportunities for people with disabilities, and encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology.

TELL THE EAC ABOUT YOUR VOTING EXPERIENCE

The U. S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) wants to hear from voters with disabilities about their Election Day stories. Please take time to give your personal feedback to the EAC, good or bad. Either way the EAC wants to hear from us.

Please e-mail your personal Election Day story to listen@eac.gov

The Help America Vote Act contains landmark provisions requiring the secure, private, and independent casting of ballots by voters with disabilities, including blind and low-vision voters. Even so, on Election Day this year, the EAC and the NFB heard from voters who faced a variety of difficulties with the voting process. Other blind and low-vision voters reported positive experiences. It is very important that EAC hears what each of us has to say.

National Federation of the Blind Applauds Issuance of Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act Regulations

The National Federation of the Blind commented today on the issuance of regulations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to implement the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama to protect the blind and other pedestrians from the dangers posed by silent hybrid and electric vehicles.

Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:

Having raised concerns on behalf of blind Americans about the dangers posed by silent hybrid and electric vehicles, the National Federation of the Blind is extremely pleased that technical specifications for a safe level of sound to be emitted by such vehicles have now been issued.
The full implementation of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010 will protect all pedestrians, especially the blind, as well as cyclists. This regulation will ensure that blind Americans can continue to travel safely and independently as we work, learn, shop, and engage in all facets of community life.

Studies conducted by NHTSA indicate that, under certain low-speed scenarios, the odds of hybrid and electric vehicles being involved in collisions with pedestrians are thirty-five percent higher than those for comparable internal combustion engine vehicles and that the odds of hybrid and electric vehicles being involved in collisions with cyclists are fifty-seven percent higher than for comparable internal combustion engine vehicles.
The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act was passed by unanimous consent in the United States Senate and by an overwhelming bipartisan majority vote of 379 to 30 in the House of Representatives. It was signed by President Obama on January 4, 2011.

National Federation of the Blind Applauds Continued Support from Google for KNFB Reader

Google Supports Continued Development of Text Recognition App that Gives the Blind Access to Print

Baltimore, MD (October 7, 2016): The National Federation of the Blind is pleased to announce that Google continues its support of the development and distribution of KNFB Reader. For a limited time, KNFB Reader will be offered for the reduced price of $19.99 for the Android app.

KNFB Reader is a mobile app that reads print aloud. It’s easy to use. Take a photo and the app reads the text aloud in clear synthetic speech. And it’s fast–the print will be yours almost instantaneously.

The app is fully accessible thanks to Google TalkBack and app functionalities that guide the blind user in independently taking the perfect picture. The app can currently recognize text in nineteen different languages, and is compatible with connected Braille displays.

Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:

We are delighted that continued support from Google will allow us to further develop the KNFB Reader app and to get this life-changing technology into the hands of more people who can benefit from it. We deeply appreciate Google’s continued support because it means that more people who are blind or who have print disabilities will have a quick and convenient means of accessing the printed word.

One new KNFB Reader user said,

I had a minor medical procedure recently and upon discharge I was given a pile of papers which included my reported results. For the first time in my life, I was able to read my report in privacy and independently. If you are still wondering whether to buy this app, all I can say is that for me it was a good investment. I can imagine myself using the KNFB reader on a daily basis.

To purchase KNFB Reader for Android, , visit the Google Play store.

2016 NFBGA State Convention Cancellation

This is to inform everyone that the 2016 NFBGA Convention has been cancelled
due to inclement weather.

If you reserved a room at the hotel, I have been asked by the management to
advise you that the event has been cancelled by the hotel and there will be
no charge to you for this cancellation. This means that you do not have to
call to cancel your reservation because it has already been done by the
management.

The Convention will be rescheduled, date and time to be determined. We will
inform you as information is provided.