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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Fellow Federationists,<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Attached and on our website you will find our 2023 NFB of Maryland Legislative Priorities. These are the three issues we will focus on during our Virtual Week in Annapolis January 19 – 26, 2023. We are constantly advocating for improvements in the law so blind Marylanders can live the lives they want, and just as importantly we are advocating to prevent bad laws from being adopted. Though we anticipating working on a dozen or more issues this legislative session, the three attached issues are those that we are prioritizing for collective action during our Virtual Week in Annapolis and the rest of the 2023 session of the Maryland General Assembly.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The issues are:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Feasibility of Electronic Ballot Return for Voting<o:p></o:p></span></b></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Expanding Housing Protections to Include Retired Guide Dogs<o:p></o:p></span></b></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Preserving the Budget Funding for the Center for Excellence in Nonvisual Access<o:p></o:p></span></b></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>You can find the fact sheets attached and also on our website at: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>https://nfbmd.org/AnnapolisWeek2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>They will also be available on Newsline in the next few days.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>If you have questions, feel free to reach out.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Yours,<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ronza<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>President</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pronouns: she, her, hers<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>