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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> Nfbnet-members-list [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>David Andrews via Nfbnet-members-list<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, June 21, 2014 4:14 PM<br><b>To:</b> nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [Nfbnet-members-list] Response to Focus Group Request from NIB for NFB Convention<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br><b>Subject:</b> Response to Focus Group Request from NIB for NFB Convention<br><br> <br><br>Dear Federation Leaders:<br><br> <br><br>Yesterday, an announcement was circulated to NFB lists from Tiffany Jolliff, research coordinator at National Industries for the Blind (NIB). This announcement notes that “NIB is focused on its mission to create and sustain employment opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired,” and that the researcher is “interested in conducting focus groups with people between the ages of 45 and 64 who are blind” at our national convention. It is important to note that the circulation of this request for participation in our convention is not an endorsement of this activity. <br><br> <br><br> <br><br>Federation leaders should remember that NIB still allows their associated agencies to pay subminimum wages to their blind employees. This is in direct conflict with the policy set by our convention that calls for the elimination of 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Federation has declined recent offers from NIB to be a sponsor of the national convention and we have said that we will not reconsider any offers of sponsorship until NIB changes its own policy on 14 (c). <br><br> <br><br>Our advocacy efforts to improve the wages being paid to those employed under NIB contracts has resulted in significant improvement for most, but not all. We have no interest in doing anything to “create and sustain opportunities” that advance subminimum wage employment. To that end, I encourage all Federationists to keep this in mind when considering the message that has unfortunately circulated throughout our listservs.<br><br> <br><br>Sincerely,<br><br> <br><br> <br><br>Mark A. Riccobono, M.S.ed<br><br>Executive Director, Jernigan Institute<br><br>National Federation of the Blind<br><br>200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place<br><br>Baltimore, Maryland 21230<br><br>Phone: (410) 659-9314 ext. 2357<br><br>Fax: (410) 659-5129<br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:mriccobono@nfb.org">mriccobono@nfb.org</a><br><br>Twitter: @Riccobono and @NFB_Voice<br><br>Web: <a href="http://www.nfb.org/">www.nfb.org</a><br><br> <br><br>The National Federation of the Blind 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.<br><br> <br><br> <br><br><a href="file:///c:\program%20files\qualcomm\eudora\attach\ATT0000124.txt"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=32 height=32 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:7.1.0.9.2.20140621151310.019909c8@visi.com.0" alt=ATT0000124.txt></span></a><a href="file:///c:\program%20files\qualcomm\eudora\attach\ATT0000124.txt"> ATT0000124.txt </a><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>