<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">You\u2019re quite welcome for me, bringing it to the attention of the affiliate, and I\u2019m glad that also you\u2019re going to contact national, and find out what they had to say, I also just saw your other message saying that National office totally had the same full draft as did a ER, and it\u2019s great to be backed up on it, I wasn\u2019t saying that we should totally react to it. I was saying that I think it should\u2019ve been noted how crucial this is. And I have known Sandy Smith For several years, being my teacher at Perkins School For The Blind, from 97 to 2004, who was a lead teacher on that program teaching other people to know Braille.<div>Which she was an amazing instructor I owe her a lot of all easiest later of what knowledge I learned then.</div><div>Again, I\u2019m glad to see that the national office also Agreed that we should probably reach out.</div><div>Everyone else have a good evening, and if I see anything like this ever again, of course I\u2019m going to bring it to the attention. </div><div>Stephen</div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Sep 11, 2025, at 3:52\u202fPM, Kyra Sweeney via Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">\ufeff<div dir="ltr">Hi all,<div><br></div><div>I want to thank Stephen for bringing this issue to our attention! It is certainly concerning, and we should keep it on our radar. I agree with Justin that we should wait for instructions from our national office on how to proceed. I will email the listserv and post on Whatsapp if/when I receive communication from the national legislative team on how we should respond to this situation.</div><div><br></div><div>Best,</div><div>Kyra</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Sep 11, 2025 at 3:35\u202fPM Justin Salisbury via Massachusetts-NFB <<a href="mailto:massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org">massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div class="msg-3408363228211173654">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hi all,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">I would recommend holding off on taking action based on what an outside organization alone tells us to do. Our NFB national office may ask us to take action, and I personally
prefer to wait until our national office has vetted an issue before I engage with it.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In solidarity,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Justin Salisbury<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Justin MH Salisbury, MEd, NOMC, NCRTB<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">English Pronouns: He/Him/His<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Email:
<a href="mailto:President@Alumni.ECU.edu" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">President@Alumni.ECU.edu</span></a>
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">ResearchGate: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury&source=gmail-imap&ust=1727538746000000&usg=AOvVaw3uZJqqJkT2wSVxJDa9dD7W" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury</span></a></span><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury&source=gmail-imap&ust=1727538746000000&usg=AOvVaw0XtyTG9WXXQ8TWe6UeU4Nz" target="_blank"><span lang="EN" style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">ORCID:
<a href="https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1786-2786" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1786-2786</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">\u201cUntil the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.\u201d<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Chinua Achebe</span><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Massachusetts-NFB <<a href="mailto:massachusetts-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">massachusetts-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>stephen yerardi via Massachusetts-NFB<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 11, 2025 7:49 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org</a><br>
<b>Cc:</b> stephen yerardi <<a href="mailto:spyerardi@gmail.com" target="_blank">spyerardi@gmail.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Massachusetts-NFB] Fwd: Urgent Advocacy Needed: Federal Braille Training Grants Eliminated<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Good morning all, I was going through email, and didn\u2019t see this yesterday, but I am seeing this today, bringing this attention to all of us.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">This is sickening and sad. Also, one is right in our state. It is Massachusetts. And I know the woman who was doing this for a long time that is Sandy Smith, she was my computer instructor at Perkins, from 1997, till I\u2019ve graduated in 2004.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Definitely, they are saying this is call for advocacy and action. Wondering what we can do on this one. I wondering if NFB national will put out a press release or say something about it.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I hope everyone is having a great day so far.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Stephen Yerardi.<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Sent from my iPhone<u></u><u></u></p>
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Begin forwarded message:<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><b>From:</b> Lee Sonnenberg <<a href="mailto:aer@aerbvi.org" target="_blank">aer@aerbvi.org</a>><br>
<b>Date:</b> September 10, 2025 at 9:59:23<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">\u202f</span>AM EDT<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:spyerardi@gmail.com" target="_blank">spyerardi@gmail.com</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> <b>Urgent Advocacy Needed: Federal Braille Training Grants Eliminated</b><br>
<b>Reply-To:</b> <a href="mailto:aer@aerbvi.org" target="_blank">aer@aerbvi.org</a><u></u><u></u></p>
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<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">Dear AER members and allies,</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">We need your help.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">On September 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education issued non-continuation notices to all three national Braille Training Grants under the 235E Demonstration Program:
Braille Training. This means that for the first time in decades, there will be no federal support for developing specialized braille training resources in the United States.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">The three programs that have been eliminated are:</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<strong><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">California State University, Los Angeles</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"> \u2013 focused on braille and technology training</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(21,21,21);line-height:16.8pt">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">University of Massachusetts at Boston</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"> \u2013 focused on professional development across the lifespan</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(21,21,21);line-height:16.8pt">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">University of South Carolina Upstate</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"> \u2013 focused on preparing new teachers and service providers</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">This decision impacts the entire field:</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">No new training resources for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) to provide braille literacy to their students.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(21,21,21);line-height:16.8pt">
<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">No additional training for Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (VRTs) to serve adults.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(21,21,21);line-height:16.8pt">
<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">No professional development or technology innovation to address the braille literacy crisis across the lifespan.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
<p style="line-height:140%"><strong><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">Why This Requires Your Voice</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><br>
</span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">Each of the three universities is pursuing its own appeal through their institutional channels. At the same time, AER is opening a fourth front, mobilizing our membership to apply direct
political pressure. Unlike the DeafBlind campaign, this effort is more nuanced and requires personal outreach. The Department\u2019s decision to terminate an entire braille program category cannot go unchallenged.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">It is also important to note: all the programs that received non-continuation notices this cycle were related to sensory impairments. This is a targeted and disproportionate
impact on children and adults who are blind, DeafBlind, or low vision.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><strong><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">Action Steps</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">Call your U.S. Senators\u2019 offices, especially if you live in West Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Texas.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">
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<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">Ask to speak with a senior staffer in the state or district office.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(21,21,21);line-height:16.8pt">
<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">Stress that this is not a budget issue. It is a policy choice that wipes out all federal braille training programs nationwide.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
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<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">Frame your message with these points:</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">
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<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">Braille is literacy. Without it, students and adults lose access to education, employment, and independence.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(21,21,21);line-height:16.8pt">
<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">Eliminating these grants means there will be no national support for specialized braille training for TVIs or VRTs.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(21,21,21);line-height:16.8pt">
<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">This decision harms one of the most underserved disability groups, those with sensory impairments.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(21,21,21);line-height:16.8pt">
<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">Some projects had a strong 6-year track record of success and impact.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(21,21,21);line-height:16.8pt">
<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">The effect is national, not local, and every state benefits from the professionals trained in these programs.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
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<span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif">Share this request with your networks. AER is working alongside our sister organizations to elevate this issue.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li></ol>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><strong><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">Why Calls Matter</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><br>
</span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">Emails are too easily ignored. Calls to state offices of U.S. Senators carry weight. Especially when they come from constituents. We must ensure that Senators, particularly Republicans in
the targeted states, intervene directly with the Department of Education.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">AER stands with the California State University, Los Angeles, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the University of South Carolina Upstate. Eliminating these
grants is unacceptable. Together, we must make clear that braille literacy is a national priority.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">With urgency and appreciation,</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><br>
</span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">Lee Sonnenberg, MA</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><br>
</span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">Executive Director</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><br>
</span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind & Visually Impaired</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height:140%"><em><span style="font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)">Please email
<a href="mailto:aer@aerbvi.org" target="_blank"><span style="font-style:normal">aer@aerbvi.org</span></a> to update your email or to unsubscribe from advocacy specific emails.</span></em><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:rgb(21,21,21)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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