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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>We are urging those of you who will be attending this year’s Washington Seminar to register for the event. Registration is free and the form can be found on our Washington Seminar page, nfb.org/Washington-seminar. By registering, you will be added to an email list that we will be sending periodic updates to.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><h3><b>Washington Seminar Fact Sheets:</b><o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>The 2025 Washington Seminar Fact Sheets are now available. You can read them on our Washington Seminar page at </span><a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>nfb.org/Washington-seminar</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>. We encourage you to take some time to study the fact sheets and learn the issues before you travel to Washington, DC, so that we can be the best advocates possible for our legislative priorities. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><h3><b>Washington Seminar Trainings:</b><o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>We will be hosting our first Zoom training session for the Washington Seminar this coming Thursday, January 9, at 8:00 p.m., eastern. The topic of the first meeting will be our Washington Seminar issues. As a reminder, our 2025 Washington Seminar issues are the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act, Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act, and Blind Americans Return to Work Act. Fact sheets for all three are available on the Washington Seminar page of our website at </span><a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>nfb.org/Washington-seminar</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>, where you can also find the Zoom information for Thursday’s training. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>There will be two other Washington Seminar Zoom trainings this month (8:00 p.m., eastern): Mock Meeting #1 on Monday, January 13; and Mock Meeting #2 on Thursday, January 23. The Zoom information for all trainings can be found on our Washington Seminar page. All meetings are open for everyone. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>If you are going, please fill out the form and if haven’t already, please let Kyra or I know who your U.S. Representative is at this time. Thank you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><o:p> </o:p></p><h3><b>Washington Seminar Career Fair: </b><o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Register for the National Federation of the Blind Washington Seminar career fair. This event will be held February 3, 12:00–2:00 p.m., eastern, at the Holiday Inn Washington Capitol, </span><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/550+C+Street,+SW,+Washington,+DC+20024?entry=gmail&source=g"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>550 C Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024</span></a><u><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>.</span></u><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Jobseekers, this is an opportunity to find your occupational passion. Employers, this is a chance to connect with great talent. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/employment/career-fair-jobseeker-registration"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Career Fair – Jobseeker Registration</span></a><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><a href="https://nfb.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=615"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Career Fair – Employer Registration </span></a><o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Jobseekers, please direct all questions to jobseeker liaison Janice Forbes at </span><a href="mailto:janiceforbes2012@gmail.com"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>janiceforbes2012@gmail.com</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>. Employers, please direct all questions to employer liaison Shawn Callaway at</span><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><a href="mailto:callaway.shawn@gmail.com"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>callaway.shawn@gmail.com</span></a><span class=MsoHyperlink><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Shara Winton<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>President, National federation of the Blind of Massachusetts<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfbma.org/"><span style='color:#0563C1'>www.nfbma.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:sharawinton@gmail.com"><span style='color:#0563C1'>sharawinton@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>617-304-0347<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>