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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Hi, Sidney:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Yes, I plan to be there the 20<sup>th</sup> and yes, this heat is—formidable! With regard to the topic of the article I forwarded in my original post, I found out from Dianne Hemphill who heard it from Donna Wood in Wichita that the Congressional Committee that was planning to act on this legislation on August 3 has moved it back a month on the Congressional calendar for taking action so that they can further study its implications. Good news!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Stay cool and hydrated!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>All the Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Susan<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> jayhawk-chapter-bounces@nfbnet.org [mailto:jayhawk-chapter-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Sidney<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, August 01, 2011 9:33 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'Jayhawk Chapter list, Lawrence, Kansas'<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Jayhawk-chapter] Pickets Demand Equal Pay for Disabled<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>Susan, thanks so much for the update. I hope your summer is going well, weather notwithstanding. Hope to see you on the 20<sup>th</sup>. What happened to June and July?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>Coolest wishes, Sidney<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></span></div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> jayhawk-chapter-bounces@nfbnet.org [mailto:jayhawk-chapter-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Susan Tabor<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, July 27, 2011 7:41 AM<br><b>To:</b> Jayhawk Chapter list, Lawrence, Kansas<br><b>Subject:</b> [Jayhawk-chapter] Pickets Demand Equal Pay for Disabled</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Coverage from today’s Wichita Eagle. Way to go!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Susan<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666'>Wednesday, July 27, 2011</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=pubdate><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Posted on Wed, Jul. 27, 2011</span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><h1 id=storyTitle><span style='font-size:22.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Pickets demand equal pay for disabled<o:p></o:p></span></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>BY dion lefler<br>The Wichita Eagle <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Randy Phifer used to work with architectural firms designing houses for a living — but everything changed when he lost his sight five years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"Diabetes took my sight," he said. "It started with driving and working in December of '05, and I was totally blind in June of '06."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Tuesday, he was one of about 20 people chanting "Equal work, equal pay!" on a hot sidewalk in front of a senator's Wichita office, protesting for what he think is one of the last frontiers of the civil rights movement — equality for people with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The demonstrators, organized by the National Federation of the Blind, are opposed to a provision in a bill under consideration in the U.S. Senate that they say would make it easier to pay employees with disabilities less than minimum wage.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"If there's a minimum wage, there should be a minimum wage for everyone," said Phifer, who traveled from his home in Overland Park for the demonstration. "It shouldn't even be a question."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Not far away, Wichita State University student Emily Schlenker waved a sign reading, "Do you support equality or exploitation?"<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Schlenker, who can sense light and darkness but can't see shapes, is working toward a master's degree that she hopes will lead to a career in facilitating health services for underserved populations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"I'm going to be college-educated, and I don't feel that my being blind should make any difference as to what I'm being paid or whether or not I'm employed," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Although the demonstration took place outside the Wichita office of Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, relations between the pickets and the senator's staff were cordial, and organizers emphasized that Roberts was not the target.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The group was part of a national demonstration that put pickets at the door of every member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which is scheduled to consider the Workforce Investment Act next month.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Several of the demonstrators were invited into Roberts' office, where they met with aide Mel Thompson. They told him the new legislation would solidify and expand the opportunity for employers to pay disabled workers less, which they say is discrimination.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The federation for the blind contends the bill would also encourage rehabilitation case agents to take the easy route of steering clients with disabilities toward sub-minimum-wage jobs in sheltered workshops, where people are paid by the piece for products they produce.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The wages often come out to less than the federal and state mandated minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The demonstrators are hoping to persuade Roberts to offer an amendment to remove the language they don't like from the bill.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Roberts has not made a decision on the bill yet, but has been in contact with groups representing disabled people on both sides, said press secretary Andrea Candrian.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The provision at issue is supported by organizations such as Easter Seals, Goodwill Industries and others who operate sheltered workshops, she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Phifer had to change careers when his blindness rendered him unable to design houses. He now sells water filtration systems and works as a motivational speaker.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>A former baseball player, Phifer said he considers blindness another sport to master.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:8.4pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.4pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"In this particular sport, you have to carry a cane — and you can't peek," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Reach Dion Lefler at 316-268-6527 or <a href="mailto:dlefler@wichitaeagle.com">dlefler@wichitaeagle.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>© 2011 Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. <a href="http://www.kansas.com">http://www.kansas.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>