 Season of Thanks
As the crisp air settles in and the last leaves fall, November invites us to pause and reflect. It’s a season of gratitude, community, and preparation for the close of another year. Gratitude isn’t just a feeling—it’s a practice that strengthens our connections and reminds us why we do what we do. At SSB, or mission is focused on you, our customers. This month, we’re celebrating the spirit of collaboration and resilience that continue to inspire and guide us. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Give to the Max Day - Thursday, November 20th
Please remember State Services for the Blind’s Communication Center in your charitable giving this year. Your donations help provide braille and audio services to our customers. Click here to make a contribution. Thank you for your generosity!
SSB Department Spotlight – Community Partners
At SSB, collaboration is at the heart of everything we do—and our Community Partner Program is a shining example of that spirit in action. Through this program, SSB contracts with a network of dedicated organizations and professionals across Minnesota and beyond to extend vital services to individuals who are blind, low vision, or DeafBlind.
Currently, SSB works with 30 community partners who hold master PT contracts. “However,” explained Jennifer Beilke, SSB’s Community Partners Relations Contracts Specialist “there are other community partners that we are able to utilize by piggybacking off of other contracts, like through VRS or even other state VR programs.”
Susan Kusz is SSB’s Community Partners Relations and Contracts Assistant. Her role focuses on partner relations and contract logistics. “I handle things like background checks, insurance documents, and human rights certificates,” she said. “I also work on initiatives like updating the website, writing the manual, planning and facilitating forums and cafés and training for our partners, and conducting monitoring reviews.”
Both Susan and Jennifer emphasized how rewarding their work is. “What I enjoy most is that my strengths are being used,” Susan shared. “It’s a great match with my skills, and I love the family atmosphere at SSB.” Jennifer echoed that sentiment: “I love our mission. Any chance I get to tell people about State Services for the Blind, I take it.”
Jennifer adds, “I love contracts. I like the organization, the attention to detail, and the fact that I get to work with both our staff and our community providers. Some of them I’ve known for over 20 years.”
Community Partners play a critical role in helping Minnesotans gain the skills they need to live independently, pursue meaningful employment, and fully participate in their communities. From assistive technology training and job readiness support to orientation and mobility services, Community Partners help bridge the gap between need and opportunity.
To learn more about the program or how to get involved, visit the SSB Community Partners webpage.
SSB Welcomes New Peer Ambassadors
Since March of 2024, SSB’s Youth Services team has had the pleasure of working alongside two outstanding students, Amy and Maddy, in their role as Peer Ambassadors. This position, funded through Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) dollars, enables students to collaborate with our transition staff to help shape programming for their peers across the state, while directly offering opportunities for students to network, learn, and grow through peer-led experiences.
Over the past year and a half, the Peer Ambassadors have made a tremendous impact. They’ve facilitated numerous student-led gatherings, spoken with various groups about our transition services and how to maximize them to achieve personal goals, and participated in staff meetings to offer valuable peer perspectives. Most importantly, they’ve served as strong allies in helping other students engage with and benefit from our services, creating a network within our student population that will have long-lasting impacts.
Following a thorough application and interview process, SSB is excited to welcome Ava Huggins and Preston Rose as our newest Peer Ambassadors! We look forward to working with them and seeing what great things they have in store for Youth Services.
Seeking Volunteer RTB Readers
Come and share your love of reading! Radio Talking Book is looking for volunteers to read books, magazines, and newspapers for blind and low vision listeners across the region.
Radio Talking Book (RTB) is a free news and information service that broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week to listeners across Minnesota and the nation. We broadcast daily newspapers, current magazines and periodicals, and a wide variety of books to appeal to a diverse range of interests. The recordings are archived on the website and on the app, Minnesota Radio Talking Book, so that people can more easily access their local newspaper. These recordings are created every day, so a solid roster of volunteers is crucial to keeping this free and important service up and running!
If interested in becoming a volunteer RTB reader, please complete this application.
Other Announcements:
For your Reading Pleasure
From WPR
Wisconsin Public Radio featured an article on how Wisconsin friends teamed up to create disability justice 'zine.
Click here to read the WPR article.
From WalletHub
A WalletHub article ranks the best and worst U.S. cities for people with disabilities. Spoiler: The Twin Cities rank among the top 5!
Click here to read the full WalletHub article.
Open Meeting on TTY-Based Relay Service - Nov. 20
On November 20, 2025, the FCC at its Open Meeting will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which would seek comment on terminating the mandatory status of TTY-based relay service for state-based Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) programs; facilitate the transition of analog TRS users to Internet-based forms of TRS; propose and seek comment on recognizing IP Speech-To-Speech Relay Service as a compensable form of TRS; explore certifying a national analog relay provider; and seek comment on streamlining TRS provider certification and data collection processes, updating or eliminating obsolete rules, and closing an outdated docket.
The November 2025 Open Meeting is scheduled for 10:30am ET on Thursday, November 20, 2025, and will be held in Washington, D.C. 20554 and also streamed at www.fcc.gov/live. Open captioning and sign language interpreting will be provided for this meeting. Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. E-mail your request to fcc504@fcc.gov or call (202) 418-0530.
Link to the Announcement of the November Open Meeting Agenda
Link to the DRAFT TRS NPRM
For general questions about TRS, visit www.fcc.gov/trs. For specific questions about this draft item, please contact Joshua Mendelsohn, Disability Rights Office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at (202) 559-7304 (voice and videophone) or Joshua.Mendelsohn@fcc.gov.
Holiday Meals on a Budget
If you or anyone you know is looking to save some money this holiday season, several retailers are offering Thanksgiving meal deals. Some more advertised options come from Amazon ($25 for 5 people), Target (under $20 for 4 people), Walmart (under $40 for 10 people), and Aldi ($40 for 10 people). These deals include a turkey and various sides, available for pickup or delivery, and sometimes with special options like gluten-free meals. Click the links below for more information.
Aldi Holiday Meal Package.
Amazon Holiday Meal Package.
Target Holiday Meal Package.
Walmart Holiday Meal Package.
It's also worth checking with your local grocery store to ask if they are offering holiday meal packages, too.
Active Shooter Response Workshop for the Deaf/DeafBlind/Hard of Hearing - Saturday, Nov. 29th
Join Valley Self-Defense for a free Active Shooter Response Workshop on Saturday, November 29th, designed for the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing community. This class will be taught fully in ASL and take into account the specific needs of the Deaf/DeafBlind/Hard-of-Hearing community.
This hands-on class will cover topics such as situational awareness, “Run, Hide, Fight” strategies, and protecting yourself and others. Participants will learn how to prepare for and respond to active shooter incidents effectively. The workshop lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes, teaching you moves to help you stay safe in emergency situations.
Date: Saturday, November 29
Time: 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Location: Valley Self-Defense - 12450 55th Street, Oak Park Heights, MN 55082
Click this link to register for the Active Shooter Response workshop.
Paid Leave Community Info Session - Thurs. Dec. 4th
The new Minnesota Paid Leave program begins January 1st. Paid Leave helps you be there when it matters. Because no matter who you are—a friend, a neighbor, a spouse or a family member—we all need time to take care of ourselves and the ones we love. Paid Leave offers payments and job protections that make it possible to be there for life's important moments.
DEED & Partners is hosting an in-person community info session on Paid Leave.
Date: Thursday, December 4th
Time: 3:30-4:40 pm
Location: Cross of Glory Lutheran Church, 5929 Brooklyn Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55429
Learn more at the Minnesota Paid Leave website.
Now Hiring - Apply by December 5th
Minnesota Department of Education is hiring a full-time Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist.
As the Deaf and Hard of Hearing State Specialist for the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), you will provide educational support and guidance to Minnesota's broader communities, with a concentration on students with disabilities, including low incidence disabilities and a specific focus on students who are deaf and hard of hearing, deafblind or with other disabilities associated with hearing loss.
Click this link to apply for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist position.
Touch of Genius Prize - Apply by January 9th
The Touch of Genius Prize was developed to inspire entrepreneurs, educators, or inventors to continue the promotion of braille and tactile literacy for blind and DeafBlind people worldwide. This prize can be granted for innovative and accessible computer software applications, tactile hardware, or curriculum that promotes braille and/or tactile literacy. The National Braille Press (NBP) encourages all applicants to think outside the box for what can be used to help improve the lives of blind people. Even if you have applied in previous years, we encourage you to apply again! The winner of this prize will receive up to $10,000, which will help them to continue to innovate in the fields of technology and education for the blind community. The Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is provided by the support of Susan Olivo and the Lavelle Fund for the Blind.
Full application details and more information can be found at www.touchofgeniusprize.org.
Accessible Supports
Looking for help with technology, a service, or a product? Hadley just posted a one-stop resource with contacts for live supports for several businesses and organizations including Google, Amazon, Apple, and more.
Check out the Hadley accessible live help webpage here.
Attn Seniors: MGS November Survey
Each month, the Minnesota Gerontological Society (MGS) asks one simple survey question to better understand what matters most to our community. Your feedback helps shape MGS programs, resources, and membership benefits across the state.
Click this link to complete the one question MGS survey.
Attn Youth Services: 2026 Disability:IN NextGen Leaders Program
Disability:IN is the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. The NextGen Leaders Program is a six-month virtual mentoring program that pairs mentors from one of Disability: IN's Corporate Partner Companies with mentees who are college students and recent graduates with disabilities to focus on career readiness and employment outcomes.
Click this link for more information on the NextGen Leaders Program and to begin the application process.
Accessible Online Passport Renewal Now Available
A new version of the official U.S. online passport renewal application has launched! The passport renewal team worked hard to build an accessibility-friendly, mobile device-compatible application that works well with assistive technology. The U.S. State Department passport team worked with the American Council of the Blind (ACB) to complete two rounds of testing, where they reviewed the application together to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. While they're continuing to make necessary optimizations, the priority is to offer an experience that can be easily navigated using assistive technology. Need to renew your passport? Visit the official online passport renewal website to try out the new application for yourself!
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