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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hello all,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As you know we have been working diligently to restore the secret ballot to disabled voters. There is language in the House budget bill that brings this issue to the forefront and asks the State Board of Elections to issue a report to the Maryland General Assembly by August 1. This language is not in the Senate budget bill. There will be a conference committee meeting this week so we must urge the Senate to keep the House language in the budget. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Today, March 27 or tomorrow March 28 please email or call Senators Richard Madaleno, the subcommittee chairman that handles the State Board of Election budget and Senator Edward Kasemeyer, the chairman of the Budget and Taxation committee. The phone number is either 410-841 + the extension or 301-858 + the extension. The extension for Senator Madaleno is 3137 and his email is richard.madaleno@senate.state.md.us. The extension for Senator Kasemeyer is 3653 and his email is edward.kasemeyer@senate.state.md.us. Thank you for your persistence and help on this issue. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please read about the study below and help if you can! I have no further information about it. If you have questions, contact the person below directly. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Dear NFB Staff,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I am a graduate research student at the University of Maryland, College Park.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I am currently running a user study exploring the potential of augmented reality for magnifying printed materials to assist users with visual impairments, and I was hoping that you would be willing to help advertise the study. We need to recruit at least a few more participants in the DC or Baltimore area who are available in the next 3-4 weeks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Participants will be asked to test a new magnification device consisting of a mobile phone and a head-worn display, and to provide feedback about its design. We are recruiting participants who are visually impaired and who use a magnification aid (e.g., hand-held or CCTV magnifier) at least some of the time. I have included the full advertisement below, and here is a link to our study website:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><a href="https://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lstearns/studies/ar-magnification/">https://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lstearns/studies/ar-magnification/</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Thank you,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Lee Stearns, MS<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Department of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction Lab University of Maryland, College Park<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Email: <a href="mailto:lstearns@umd.edu">lstearns@umd.edu</a>, Phone: 240-472-1030<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Sharon Maneki, </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>410-715-9596<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back</span>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>