<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:14pt"><div style="RIGHT: auto">February 9, 2014<BR><BR>President Barack Obama<BR>The White House<BR>1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.<BR>Washington, DC 20500<BR><BR><BR>Dear Mr. President:<BR><BR>In your January 28th State of the Union Address, and via a conference call<BR>with Vice President Biden and Secretary of Labor Perez on January 29th, it<BR>was announced that all contractors would be required by executive order to<BR>pay their federally funded workers at least $10.10 an hour under any new<BR>contracts. The National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest<BR>nationwide organization of blind Americans, urges you to include workers<BR>with disabilities in this executive order, affirmatively and explicitly. We<BR>further urge you to announce that you will sign the Fair Wages for Workers<BR>with Disabilities Act (H.R. 831) if
and when that legislation reaches your<BR>desk. With a Republican sponsor and substantial Democratic co-sponsorship,<BR>this nonpartisan piece of legislation will responsibly phase out the<BR>discriminatory practice of paying workers with disabilities less than the<BR>minimum wage. <BR><BR>Our respect and prayers go out to Americans like Sergeant First Class Cory<BR>Remsburg, who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom and<BR>equality we seek to enjoy as American citizens. We are thankful that<BR>Sergeant Remsburg is recovering from the wounds he suffered in service to<BR>this great nation. But we must point out that his value to our society is<BR>not a function of the restoration of his eyesight and ability to walk, but<BR>of the simple fact that he is a human being with determination, belief in<BR>himself, love for the United States, and aspirations for his future. There<BR>are millions of others who actively seek to serve this
nation we love with<BR>our unique talents and strengths, whether or not we can benefit from<BR>technology or medical intervention that will mitigate or eliminate our<BR>disabilities. Some of us may be blind in both eyes; others may not be able<BR>to hear; some may be unable to walk; some may have developmental<BR>disabilities that require innovative interventions; and still others may<BR>have other disabilities that require them to perform everyday tasks a little<BR>differently. We seek to have our different characteristics embraced as<BR>respected contributions to our nation's diversity, not as badges of<BR>inferiority that condemn us to a life of low wages and low expectations. We<BR>are no less valuable, we are no less capable, and we are no less American<BR>than any other citizen.<BR><BR>We wholeheartedly agree with you when you say, "The America we want for our<BR>kids - a rising America where honest work is plentiful and communities are<BR>strong;
where prosperity is widely shared and opportunity for all lets us go<BR>as far as our dreams and toil will take us - none of it is easy. But if we<BR>work together; if we summon what is best in us, the way Cory summoned what<BR>is best in him, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast<BR>towards tomorrow - I know it's within our reach." We believe that this<BR>America includes people with disabilities, and we ask you to demonstrate<BR>that you believe it as well.<BR><BR>Sincerely,<BR><BR>Richard McGaffin, President of the Southern Connecticut Chapter<BR>NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND<BR>cc: Vice President Joseph R. Biden<BR> The Honorable Thomas E. Perez<BR style="RIGHT: auto"><BR></div></div></body></html>