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<b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">David Andrews
<i>|</i> Chief Technology Officer<br>
</span></b><i><span style="font-size:7.5pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
<br>
State Services for the Blind</span></i><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:7.5pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">2200 University Ave West, Suite 240, St. Paul MN 55114</span><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:7.5pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Direct: 651-539-2294</span><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><span style="color:#1F497D"><a href="http://mn.gov/deed" title="Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development website, mn.gov/deed"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue">Web</span></a></span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black">|
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<img border="0" width="238" height="61" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D56228.84ADBC50" alt="DEED SSB Logo Black and White"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> NFBMN-News [mailto:nfbmn-news-bounces@nfbnet.org]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>NFBMN President via NFBMN-News<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, September 02, 2019 10:36 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> nfbmn-news@nfbnet.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [NFBMN-News] Celebrating Hard Work<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fellow Federationists,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Labor Day is meant as a day to reflect on the progress we have made in establishing protections for American workers. It is a celebration of collective action and an understanding that workers have a basic set of rights that should be respected.
It’s also a time to rest, reflect, and eat some good barbecue.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m glad we have those protections in place. I’m grateful for sick leave and paid vacation and the understanding that 12 hour days with no weekends is not a good thing. But I also understand that even though those protections apply to us,
blind people have a lot of work to do to secure our own equality in the workplace. Far too many blind people—estimates run as high as 70%--are unemployed in the United states, and among those of us who have gotten jobs, too Many are paid less than the minimum
wage. When we are fortunate enough to secure competitive employment, we far too often find inaccessible experiences waiting for us at work which prevent us from doing our jobs to the fullest.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even with all that arrayed against us, however, the collective action of the National federation of the Blind of Minnesota will not falter. We will continue to train and educate and fight so that more of us can get good, fulfilling jobs.
We will advocate with businesses and the legislature to put an end to subminimum wages. We will use our knowledge of accessibility and the law to ensure that blind people aren’t kept out of competitive employment because of inaccessibility.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today, though, take a minute to be proud. We’re working to ensure accessible voting, to get kids a proper education from qualified teachers, to train people in the skills of blindness, to share knowledge with our students and seniors, to
educate the public through meet the blind month and bratwurst sales and picnics in public places, to teach Braille to blind children through our BELL program, and so much more, and we’re doing it together.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I hope you took time to relax today. I also hope you took time to reflect. Even as we have much to do, we have much to be proud of. I’m glad to be on this journey with you.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Warmly,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ryan<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ryan Strunk, President<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:president@nfbmn.org">president@nfbmn.org</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nfb.org&data=02%7C01%7Cdavid.b.andrews%40state.mn.us%7C4b0f49ed2d364b012c4c08d7301fd24e%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637030785542813556&sdata=j28FMTKjuoutecX0gHveQJZawWbzJ09pshbOdCgdkC8%3D&reserved=0">www.nfb.org</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nfbmn.org&data=02%7C01%7Cdavid.b.andrews%40state.mn.us%7C4b0f49ed2d364b012c4c08d7301fd24e%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637030785542823552&sdata=lak7AX0ylt4bwZul9Gpaf3NIrA3XEDPRSSEcjd0CGUI%3D&reserved=0">www.nfbmn.org</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(612) 872-9363<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Live the life you Want.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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