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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Folks,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The time has changed to 9AM Eastern for this hearing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none'>President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none'>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none'>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none'>Pronouns: she, her, hers</span><span style='mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='mso-ligatures:none'>From:</span></b><span style='mso-ligatures:none'> rothmanjd@gmail.com <rothmanjd@gmail.com> <br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 15, 2023 12:53 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'List for blind government employees' <blind-gov@nfbnet.org><br><b>Subject:</b> FW: Ronza Othman to Testify at Senate Hearing on September 21<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>FYI – please consider attending in person if you are local and viewing virtually if you are not. I am testifying on behalf of this division, so it is your stories that I’ll be telling.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none'>President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none'>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none'>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none'>Pronouns: she, her, hers</span><span style='mso-ligatures:none'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='mso-ligatures:none'>From:</span></b><span style='mso-ligatures:none'> Pare, John <<a href="mailto:JPare@nfb.org">JPare@nfb.org</a>> <br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 15, 2023 12:25 PM<br><b>To:</b> State President, District of Columbia <<a href="mailto:callaway.shawn@gmail.com">callaway.shawn@gmail.com</a>>; State President, Maryland <<a href="mailto:President@nfbmd.org">President@nfbmd.org</a>>; State President, Virginia <<a href="mailto:tracy.soforenko@gmail.com">tracy.soforenko@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> President, National Federation of the Blind <<a href="mailto:OfficeOfThePresident@nfb.org">OfficeOfThePresident@nfb.org</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> Ronza Othman to Testify at Senate Hearing on September 21<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Colleagues: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging will be conducting a hearing regarding accessible technology for people with disabilities, older adults, and veterans on Thursday, September 21 at 10:30 a.m. Our very own Ronza Othman will be testifying on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind. Along with serving as the President of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, Ronza is the President of our National Association of Blind Government Employees and her testimony will address many of the accessibility issues faced by blind and low vision government workers. The hearing will take place in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., room SD-106, or can be viewed virtually at <a href="https://www.aging.senate.gov/hearings/unlocking-the-virtual-front-door-ensuring-accessible-government-technology-for-people-with-disabilities-older-adults-and-veterans"><span style='color:blue'>Unlocking the Virtual Front Door: Ensuri... | Senate Committee On Aging</span></a>. The hearing is open to the public and we want to fill the room with as many Federationists as possible. We will be providing round-trip transportation to the hearing from the Jernigan Institute. If you would like to ride in our van, please contact Jeff Kaloc at <a href="mailto:jkaloc@nfb.org">jkaloc@nfb.org</a> or call him at 410-659-9314, extension 2206 by noon on Tuesday, September 19. For those providing your own transportation, you should plan to arrive at the hearing room no later than 10:00 a.m. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Warm regards, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>John <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-ligatures:none'>John G. Paré Jr. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-ligatures:none'>Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-ligatures:none'>200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-ligatures:none'>(410) 659-9314, extension 2218 | <a href="mailto:Jpare@nfb.org">Jpare@nfb.org</a> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-ligatures:none'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://nfb.org/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=262 height=95 style='width:2.7291in;height:.993in' id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/nfblogo.png" alt="National Federation of the Blind"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-ligatures:none'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-ligatures:none'> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=30 height=30 style='width:.3125in;height:.3125in' id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/facebook.png" alt=Facebook></span></a><span style='mso-ligatures:none'> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=30 height=30 style='width:.3125in;height:.3125in' id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/twitter.png" alt=Twitter></span></a><span style='mso-ligatures:none'> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=30 height=30 style='width:.3125in;height:.3125in' id="_x0000_i1028" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/youtube.png" alt=Youtube></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-ligatures:none'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-ligatures:none'>The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>