<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Hi everyone,</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">As we heard  during the
national convention, the Blind Americans Return to Work Act has been introduced
in the House of Representatives! The bill number is H.R. <span class="gmail-il">8878</span>.
<span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">The bill was introduced by Congressman Pete
Sessions of Texas and has Congressman Kweisi Mfume of Maryland as the lead
cosponsor.</span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>

<p style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><strong><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Poppins;color:rgb(83,85,91)">Explanation of the Bill:</span></strong></p>

<p style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><strong><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Poppins;color:rgb(83,85,91)"> </span></strong></p>

<p style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><strong><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Poppins;color:rgb(83,85,91)">T</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Poppins;color:rgb(83,85,91)">his </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Poppins;color:rgb(83,85,91)">l</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Poppins;color:rgb(83,85,91)">egislation </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Poppins;color:rgb(83,85,91)">i</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Poppins;color:rgb(83,85,91)">s </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Poppins;color:rgb(83,85,91)">needed in order to allow blind
Americans to reach our full earning potential. Currently, </span></strong><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Poppins;color:rgb(83,85,91)">Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits paid to blind beneficiaries are eliminated
if the beneficiary exceeds a monthly earnings limit. This earnings limit, often
called the “earnings cliff,” is in effect a penalty imposed on blind Americans
when they work. For example, the earnings limit in 2024 for a blind person is
$2,590 per month. If a blind person earns more than that threshold, even by
just one dollar, they are engaged in substantial gainful activity (SGA). Under
the current law, any individual engaged in SGA is not entitled to any Social
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. <strong style="box-sizing:border-box">This means that if a blind person earns just one
dollar over the earnings limit, all benefits are lost</strong>
<label style="box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;margin-bottom:0.5rem">
 . Many blind Americans have turned down raises, promotions, and additional work
 hours in order to avoid losing all SSDI benefits.</label></span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
 <p style="margin-left:0.5in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin-right:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Poppins;color:rgb(83,85,91)">The <em style="box-sizing:border-box">Blind Americans Return to Work Act </em>will eliminate
 the earnings cliff by instituting a pilot program establishing a gradual
 two-for-one phase-out of SSDI benefits with earnings over the SGA limit. In
 other words, for every two dollars a blind worker earns above the SGA
 threshold, their benefits amount will be reduced by one dollar. With this
 phase-out model, blind workers will always be better off striving to earn as
 much as possible, which will facilitate the transition of those workers out of
 the SSDI system as benefits are gradually reduced.</span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">What we need to do:</span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">It is essential that we reach out to our representatives to
 build cosponsor support for this legislation before the session ends later
 this year.</span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">When
 you call or email your representative, you might say the following:</span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">"Hello,
 my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent of [REPRESENTATIVE NAME]. I
 live in [CITY, STATE]. I would like to urge [REPRESENTATIVE NAME] to cosponsor
 the Blind Americans Return to Work Act, H.R. <span class="gmail-il">8878</span>.
 This legislation will eliminate the SSDI earnings cliff by instituting a
 two-for-one phase out of benefits for any income earned above the substantial
 gainful activity threshold for blind Americans. This will create a true work
 incentive for all blind Americans currently on SSDI. Thanks."</span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Feel free to include a personal example in your message if
 you have experience with trying to navigate the earnings cliff.</span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Please contact your representative either by
 phone or by email this week! This only takes a few minutes. I have attached a
 document with the contact information for each of the representatives in MA
 and instructions to find your representative. If you need help figuring out
 who your representative is, please email me privately.</span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">If you contact your representative via email, please copy me
 at <a href="mailto:kyra.sweeney94@gmail.comm" style="color:blue">kyra.sweeney94@gmail.comm</a></span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">, as well as the NFB Governmental Affairs Specialist, </span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Jesse
 Shirek</span>, at <span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><a href="mailto:jshirek@nfb.org" style="color:blue">jshirek@nfb.org</a></span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">.</span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span></p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">It would be great if we could get cosponsors from MA to
 support this bill! Your calls and emails will make a difference. Thank you for
 helping to move this priority forward.</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Best,</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Kyra Sweeney</p>
 <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Legislative Director, National Federation of the Blind of
 Massachusetts</p></div>