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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Chris Danielsen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Director of Public Relations<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">cdanielsen@nfb.org</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>National Federation of the Blind Applauds<br>
Introduction of Fair Wages Legislation<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Urges Passage of Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act
<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Baltimore, Maryland (February 27, 2013):</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">
</span><a href="http://www.nfb.org/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The National Federation of the Blind</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt">, the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans, today applauded the introduction of the Fair
Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013 (H.R. 831) by Representative Gregg Harper (R-MS). Congressman Harper, along with eleven original co-sponsors, introduced the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013 to repeal section 14(c) of the
Fair Labor Standards Act, and to phase out </span><a href="http://www.nfb.org/fair-wages"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">the discriminatory practice of paying workers with disabilities pennies per hour.</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Congressman Gregg Harper said: “Section 14(c) of the FLSA, enacted out of ignorance about the true capacity of people with disabilities, currently prevents over 300,000 people with disabilities from gaining
access to the work and training environments that have been proven to be more cost effective and to produce more competitive integrated work outcomes. Subminimum-wage work is just an expression of low expectations that instills a false sense of incapacity
in individuals, who could become competitively employed with the proper training and support.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nfb.org/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Dr. Marc Maurer</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt">, President of
</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/NationalFederationoftheBlind"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">the National Federation of the Blind</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt">, said: “The National Federation of the Blind and our partners representing the
55 million Americans with disabilities fight every day to obtain the fundamental freedoms that nondisabled citizens take for granted. We applaud Congressman Harper for having the courage to confront over seventy years of entrenched but false thinking about
the capacity of people with disabilities. We strongly urge his colleagues in both houses of the United States Congress to exhibit the same courage by recognizing our right to have the same workforce protections as every other American citizen.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="s4" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="bumpedfont15"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The National Federation of the Blind needs your support to ensure that blind children get an equal education, to connect blind veterans
with the training and services they need, and to help seniors who are losing vision continue to live independent and fulfilling lives. To make a donation, please go to </span></span><a href="http://www.nfb.org/"><span class="bumpedfont15"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";text-decoration:none">www.nfb.org</span></span></a><span class="bumpedfont15"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">.</span></span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="s4" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">###<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">About the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="s4" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><br>
<span class="bumpedfont15">The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest, largest, and most influential nationwide membership organization of blind people in the United States. Founded in 1940, the NFB advocates for the civil rights and equality
of blind Americans, and develops innovative education, technology, and training programs to provide the blind and those who are losing vision with the tools they need to become independent and successful. We need your support. To make a donation, please
go to </span></span><a href="http://www.nfb.org/"><span class="bumpedfont15"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">www.nfb.org</span></span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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