From auburngirl2021 at gmail.com Sun Jun 7 23:43:15 2026 From: auburngirl2021 at gmail.com (Jennifer Reeves) Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2026 18:43:15 -0500 Subject: [4Alabama] NFB Announcements and Reminders from the Alabama Affiliate President Message-ID: *Independence Market Hours:* The Independence Market will be closed from July 1 through July 14. In addition, leading up to convention, the showroom will be closed from June 22 through June 30. Our eCommerce system will not close and items will ship while we are at convention. Note that while the showroom is closed from June 22 through June 30, customers can still stop by in person and place or pick up orders; however, there will be nothing on display. We have one set of display items, and these items will be packed during this timeframe. Thank you for your understanding! *UPS Shipping for Independence Market Items:* Customers can now purchase items that are not eligible to be shipped via Free Matter directly through our eCommerce site with UPS shipping. Some notable products that fit this description include NFB-branded merchandise, tumblers, Meta glasses, and other featured items. *Volunteers Needed for Independence Market During National Convention:* If you are interested in volunteering at the Independence Market during the 2026 National Convention, please contact Danielle McCann at dmccann at nfb.org for more information. Opportunities are available for demonstrators and storekeepers, and all assistance is greatly appreciated. *Federation Sues Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services Regarding Delay of Website Accessibility Rule:* On Thursday, May 21, the National Federation of the Blind filed a lawsuit challenging the administration’s abrupt delay of critical website accessibility features designed to ensure blind people and people with other disabilities can access essential government and healthcare services online. The lawsuit challenges actions by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that postponed long-anticipated compliance deadlines under federal disability rights laws, without public notice or input. Regulations finalized by DOJ and HHS in April and May 2024, after years of public engagement and rulemaking, required state and local governments and those who receive federal funding from HHS to make their websites and mobile applications accessible to people with disabilities, including those who are blind and rely on screen readers and other assistive technology. However, on April 20, 2026, and May 11, 2026, respectively, DOJ and HHS issued interim final rules delaying the compliance deadlines by a year. You can read our full press release regarding the DOJ and HHS lawsuit in our Press Room . *Department of Health and Human Services Section 504 Interim Final Rule Response:* On May 11, the Department of Health and Human Services published an interim final rule delaying the implementation of website and mobile application accessibility regulations for Rehabilitation Act Section 504 covered entities. Much like our response to the ADA Title II website rule delay, we believe this postponement for implementation is completely unwarranted. I encourage you to read our official response to the Health and Human Services interim final rule that we submitted on Friday, May 29. *ADA Title II Digital Accessibility Interim Final Rule – Submit Your Comments:* This is a quick reminder that there is still time for you to submit your individual comments in response to the Department of Justice’s interim final rule on website and mobile application accessibility for ADA Title II-covered entities. As a reminder, we sent out an advocacy alert on this topic on May 17, and we encourage you to read it and submit comments so that the DOJ understands how critical digital accessibility is to us. *Reminders:* *Honor Roll Call:* As a reminder, the Honor Roll Call is when affiliates and national divisions support our sustaining funds: Kenneth Jernigan Fund, SUN shares, White Cane Fund, and Jacobus tenBroek Memorial Fund. To make your 2026 contributions, write a check payable to National Federation of the Blind and mail it to 200 East Wells Street; Baltimore, Maryland, 21230, Attention: Fiscal Services – Roll Call and write “Roll Call” in the check memo. Please send an email to rollcall at nfb.org detailing the amount to go to each fund and the name of the organization, so we record the contributions correctly. All pre-convention contributions will be acknowledged on our website. If your organization is making a pledge to be paid later this year, please send an email to rollcall at nfb.org telling us how much is being pledged for each fund and when to expect the check. All pledges should be fulfilled by August 31, 2026. *NFB Camp:* NFB Camp will again be part of convention. We ask affiliates and divisions to consider helping with this expense. We provide this service to families for a nominal fee; therefore, your help is greatly appreciated. Please make all contributions for NFB Camp payable to National Federation of the Blind and mail it to 200 East Wells Street; Baltimore, Maryland, 21230, Attention: Fiscal Services – NFB Camp and write NFB Camp in the check memo. Please send an email to fiscalservices at nfb.org to let us know the name of the organization or division and the amount of the contribution. *PAC:* Before you start PACing for convention, please consider supporting the PAC program with a contribution toward the PAC gift-card prizes. During the convention, those who participate in PAC, either signing up or increasing their donation, are eligible to win gift cards. Please support our PAC program with a donation to the prize fund. Checks for PAC prizes are to be payable to National Federation of the Blind and mailed to Attention: Fiscal Services-PAC, 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore MD, 21230; include “PAC prizes” in the check memo. Also, please send an email to PAC at nfb.org to let us know to expect your organization’s support. *Multiple Requests:* You can write one check for the above support requests if you send an email to one of the email addresses provided and clearly list the breakdown of the check. You can also write multiple checks and mail them in one envelope. Please make sure to include the memo notes on the checks and to send the necessary emails so our fiscal services staff know what to expect and record them correctly. All envelopes need to be mailed to 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore MD, 21230, Attention: Fiscal Services. Barbara Manuel, President National Federation of the Blind of Alabama President at NFBAL.org 251.656.5165 NFB.org NFBAL.org Live The Life You Want