National Federation of the Blind of Cincinnati

08/08/2026

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08/07/2026

Ohio Affiliate, President, Richard Payne, and the Ohio Board of Directors invite you to come learn how to reach your maximum leadership potential, participate in motivational and leadership development seminars, and most of all learn about “living the life you want.” The Convention dates are Thu...

02/03/2026

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Today, we, along with the National Association of Blind Merchants and several blind entrepreneurs, filed a federal lawsuit challenging a decision by the United States Department of Education that purports to eliminate the Randolph-Sheppard Act priority for blind vendors to operate dining facilities on United States Army installations nationwide.

The Randolph-Sheppard Act, passed in 1936 and strengthened by Congress in 1974, requires federal agencies to give priority to blind vendors in the operation of vending facilities, including cafeterias, on federal property. For more than thirty years, blind vendors have successfully operated Army dining facilities across the country, often winning awards from the military itself.

“The Randolph-Sheppard Act does not authorize the Secretary of Education to waive the law for an entire federal agency,” said President Riccobono. “Congress created and later enhanced this program to expand economic opportunity for blind entrepreneurs. The Department of Education cannot erase the work of America’s lawmakers through a sweeping administrative finding based on anecdote, speculation, or policy disagreement, and should not exclude blind people from shaping the future direction of the program. The National Federation of the Blind stands with the blind business owners who are providing outstanding and award-winning service to members of our nation’s armed forces every day, and we are determined to reverse this unlawful, unwarranted, and unjust action.”

Read the full press release at: https://buff.ly/55n7NP5

12/24/2025

Breaking News: Today, the Department of Education published a notice in the Federal Register that effectively eliminates the Randolph-Sheppard priority for dining facility contracts (DFACs) on Army installations. The Randolph-Sheppard program is a congressional recognition that blind people often face discrimination that prevents us from competing fairly for government contracts. It leverages the expertise and professionalism of blind entrepreneurs.

President Riccobono said, “This notice is a blatant betrayal of nearly ninety years of congressional commitment and discards the expertise and livelihoods of blind entrepreneurs who have proudly supported our armed forces for decades. The Department of the Army’s decision to eliminate the priority for blind vendors competing for DFAC contracts based on false information and their refusal to reconcile what is true about the Randolph Sheppard Program abandons hundreds of trained, licensed blind workers who have proven their capability and dedication.”

“To the blind vendors affected by this decision: the National Federation of the Blind stands with you, and we will fight relentlessly for our rights, even if it means standing up to those who are typically tasked with defending those rights. This is exactly the kind of challenge that requires our collective action—thousands of blind people speaking with one voice about what we know we can accomplish.”

Read our full press release and additional published statements regarding the notice and Randolph-Sheppard Program at https://buff.ly/7CgdwnP

10/01/2025

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Welcome back to the City of Westlake, Ohio. We are delighted to have you return visiting us and hoped you enjoyed seeing what makes our City such a special place.

05/01/2025

We, along with the NFB of West Virginia and two blind graduates of West Virginia University (WVU), have filed a lawsuit against the WVU Board of Governors for systematically denying blind students equal access to its educational programs, services, and activities.

“These students enrolled at WVU to pursue careers dedicated to helping others, but instead they have been met with institutional barriers and unlawful discrimination that threaten their futures,” said President Riccobono. “The university’s behavior is inexcusable, as its legal obligations are not new and it could have followed the lead of any number of other academic institutions with whom blind Americans have collaborated to institute systemic accessibility solutions. The National Federation of the Blind simply cannot and will not tolerate this deplorable conduct at WVU or anywhere else.”

“As the oldest land-grant institution in West Virginia and home to the state’s oldest Master of Social Work program, I would have expected [WVU] to set the gold standard in providing accommodations for students in field placements,” said Harold Thomas Rogers, a blind graduate. “Unfortunately, that has not been the case. I am grateful for the National Federation of the Blind’s unwavering commitment to advocating not only for blind students in West Virginia but for students nationwide.”

Read more in the May 2025 issue of the Braille Monitor: https://buff.ly/jMKH01Y

Image by Po Hsuan Huang on Unsplash.

03/26/2025

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03/21/2025

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