Please give immediate attention to the policy directive from the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind related to the immediate postponement of public meetings of the organization. You can read the policy directive and hear an emergency Presidential Release related to this matter at https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-covid-19-policy-relating-public-events.
COVID-19 Info
National Federation of the Blind COVID-19 Policy Relating to Public Events
COVID-19 Resources
The National Federation of the Blind is closely monitoring the COVID-19 emergency, which is changing everyone’s lives but has unique effects on blind people. The health and safety of all of our members, colleagues, and friends is always our top priority. Information on the NFB’s COVID-19 Resources page, www.nfb.org/resources/covid-19-resources, provides resources that may be particularly useful to blind people facing challenges during the emergency. If you have found other resources that you believe are useful, please email the information to communicationsteam@nfb.org. For the latest happenings with the NFB surrounding COVID-19, please visit www.nfb.org.
What's New?
Latest NFB Presidential Release Transcript
To read the latest National Federation of the Blind Presidential Release transcript in English or Spanish, please visit www.nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases.
Updated SSP White Paper Now Available
We're pleased to share DeafBlind People and Support Service Providers in the 21st Century, an update of the original 2006 SSP White Paper. Although the writing team included just six of us - three deafblind and three hearing/sighted SSPs - 28 additional people shared their experiences, thoughts and opinions. Their contributions gave the paper its heart, strength and power. The paper is published online by the National Center on Deaf-Blindness and can be found at https://www.nationaldb.org/info-center/Support-Service-Provider-White-Paper.
we encourage you to read and share the paper far and wide. Our hope is that it'll provide a solid, documented basis for any organization or state to pursue the provision of SSP services.
Mask Mandate and TSA Security Screening
Commencing February 2, 2021, pursuant to Executive Orders of the President of the United States and an order issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), travelers are required to wear masks in public transportation modes, such as airlines. This includes TSA security screening checkpoints. For more information on the mask mandate, go to TSA.gov for the Press Release, FAQs and other COVID-19 related information related to air travel. CDC guidance for attributes of acceptable masks is found at https://www/cdc.gov/quarantine/masks/mask-travel-guidance.html. Click here to read more.
What are common experiences of DeafBlind survivors? - Understanding Deaf & DeafBlind Cultures and Communities
To help understand the common experiences of DeafBlind survivors of abuse, please visit https://fast.wistia.net/embed/channel/uk0x1p1xj0?wchannelid=uk0x1p1xj0&wmediaid=rimlua48jv. Close captioning is available while viewing this video.
Blind and Deafblind Students Set to Take Advanced Placement Tests File Civil Rights Complaint Against College Board
AIRA NFB Plans
There are now two Aira plans available to members of the National Federation of the Blind only.
- Thirty minutes a month for $20.00
- One hundred and forty minutes per month for $99.00 (This plan includes the Austria glasses, allows for minute sharing, permits purchasing additional non-expiring minutes if one is running short, and lets members get credit for referrals.)
Call an Aira agent (800-835-1934) to subscribe or visit the Aira website at https://aira.io/nfb.
We Need Your Help! Monitor Uber and Lyft Compliance with Service Animal Agreement
If you use Uber or Lyft and have a service animal or travel with someone who does, please complete our Uber and Lyft survey. For questions, contact the Rideshare Testing coordinator in your state or Valerie Yingling, legal program coordinator at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, at 410-659-9314 extension 2440 or vyingling@nfb.org.
Helpful Resources
- Blindness Statistics
- KNFB Reader - mobile app that reads print out loud
- NFB-NEWSLINE - free newspaper service accessed via telephone, mobile app, web browser, email, or portable player
- NFB Press Room