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<p class="MsoNormal">Aloha, my Federation Ohana,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am sad to tell you that HR 620 was passed through the house by a margin of about 30 votes. We are proud of our support from Hawaii’s two congresswomen, though. They stood up for our ADA rights. The bill will now be marked up and moved
on to the United States Senate, where we will have to work again to get our two legislators plus as many others as possible from the mainland to oppose the bill there.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In other news, Tulsi Gabbard put out this press release, available below this email, mentioning us and announcing her commitment to co-sponsor the rest of our bills. This means that Hawaii will have 100% co-sponsorship in the House of Representatives
for:<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4">The Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education (AIM HIGH) Act<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4">The Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA)<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4">The Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment (TIME) Act<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We still have more work to do, but we are really making a strong showing so far.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mahalo nui loa,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Justin<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Justin M. Salisbury, MA, NOMC, NCRTB, NCUEB<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Legislative Committee Chair<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Honolulu Chapter<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Phone: 808.797.8606<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Email: <a href="mailto:President@Alumni.ECU.edu">President@Alumni.ECU.edu</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">LinkedIn: <span lang="EN"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury"><span style="color:blue">https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury</span></a>
</span><span lang="EN"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Lucida Console"">“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are
not afraid anymore.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Lucida Console""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Lucida Console"">Cesar Chavez<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<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>From:</b> Koetzle, Patrick [mailto:Patrick.Koetzle@mail.house.gov]
<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, February 15, 2018 10:34 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> jgashel0923@gmail.com<br>
<b>Cc:</b> Justin Salisbury <PRESIDENT@alumni.ecu.edu>; 'Katie Keim' <808keim@gmail.com>; 'Virgil Stinnet' <808virgil@gmail.com>; 'Susan Gashel' <susangashel@gmail.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> RE: H.R. 620, response to your inquiry<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Aloha,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Wanted to share our press release with you and thank you for everything you do. If you ever need anything, please reach out.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mahalo,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Patrick <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:black"><img border="0" width="556" height="89" style="width:5.7916in;height:.925in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D3A672.5673F980"></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">For Immediate Release</span></b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br>
February 15, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue"">Media Contact:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><br>
Emily Latimer, (202) 604-2330<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica Neue""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt">Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Votes Against Bill that Undermines Civil Rights Protections for Americans with Disabilities
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Washington, DC—</b>Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) today voted against legislation that unravels civil rights protections for millions of individuals with disabilities in Hawai‘i and across the country.
<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/620?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22620%22%7D&r=5">
H.R. 620</a> undermines the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by placing burdensome requirements on individuals with disabilities, making it more difficult for them to access equal rights protections. The legislation passed the House by a vote
of <a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2018/roll080.xml">225-192</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to the <a href="http://www.hawaiidisabilityrights.org/">Hawaii Disability Rights Center</a>, 15 percent of Hawai‘i residents are disabled – higher than the national average. The
<a href="https://nfb.org/blindness-statistics">National Federation for the Blind of Hawai‘i</a> also reported that Hawai‘i is home to roughly 22,700 people with a visual disability, who would be disproportionately burdened by the hurdles enacted by H.R. 620.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said, </b>“For more than 25 years, the ADA has been instrumental in expanding and protecting fair, equal opportunities for disabled Americans. H.R. 620 unravels this progress, making it easier for employers
to skirt around discrimination laws and requiring people with disabilities to jump through hoops for the equal access protections to which they are entitled. I’ve heard from many community organizations in Hawai‘i that shared how this legislation would hurt
our more than 210,000 disabled residents. I stand with them in strong opposition to this harmful legislation.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii said, </b>“The leaders and members of the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii strongly oppose H. R. 620, the so-called ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Education and Reform Act.
If this bill becomes law, it will diminish the rights of blind people by eroding the foundation of the ADA. Passed with strong bi-partisan support and signed into law by President George H. W. Bush in 1990, the ADA assures that all Americans with disabilities
have the right to live free from exclusion and discrimination in any way in American society. The ADA ensures that anyone with a disability can enjoy the benefits of living in our free and open state and country alongside all other citizens. In short, the
ADA is the persons with disabilities equality act, which must not be diminished in either its force or effect. We call upon everyone in Hawai‘i and throughout the U. S. to join us in opposing H.R. 620, which is a deceptive attempt to repeal the ADA.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Aloha State Association of the Deaf said</b>, “Aloha State Association of the Deaf strongly opposes this bill because it will affect Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard of Hearing citizens of Hawai‘i.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Special Olympics Hawaii said</b>, “Special Olympics strongly supports legislation that guarantees the rights, full participation, and integration of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). We appreciate the progress that has been
made towards eliminating the stigma, stereotypes, isolation, and discrimination that people with intellectual disabilities face – most importantly around access to sport, health, and education. We ask Congress to remain vigilant against any erosion of any
provisions that have made a substantial difference in the lives of people with disabilities.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">H.R. 620 is opposed by numerous civil rights, disability rights, and other organizations including AARP, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, NAACP, Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, Paralyzed Veterans of America,
Vietnam Veterans of America, American Association of Justice (AAJ), ACLU, AFSCME, National Disability Rights Network, American Association of People with Disabilities, National Council of Disability, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Easterseals, National
Foundation of the Blind, and United Cerebral Palsy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Background:</u></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has long called for expanding federal protections against discrimination on the basis of national origin, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, gender, or race. She is a cosponsor of the Equality
Act, which would add sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity to the list of protected classes under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. H.R. 2282 would expand federal protections to end discrimination
in public accommodations, state and local government services, public education, federal financial assistance, employment, housing, credit, and federal jury service.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is also a cosponsor of H.R.1734 and H.R. 1772, which will increase access to technology, education, and employment opportunities for blind individuals, and H.R. 1377, which phases out subminimum wages for workers
with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Follow Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on social media:<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RepTulsiGabbard">Facebook.com/RepTulsiGabbard</a><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><a href="https://twitter.com/tulsipress">Twitter.com/TulsiPress</a><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/tulsipress">YouTube.com/TulsiPress</a><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/reptulsigabbard/">Flickr.com/RepTulsiGabbard</a><o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">###<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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