[Nd-talk] NFB of North Dakota NEWSWIRE Vol. 1, No. 5

Fri May 26 19:14:20 UTC 2017

NEWSWIRE

National Federation of the Blind

of North Dakota

Volume 1, No.., 5

REMINDER!!!

This is a reminder that we will have our monthly June meeting on Saturday,
June 3 at 12-Noon. Meeting is at the Raddison Hotel Fargo, 201 5th Street,
North, Fargo, North Dakota; 2nd-floor next to the Zest Restaurant where a
private room has been reserved for our meeting. Call either Jesse at
701.781.2526 or Milton 701.731.0511 when you get to the hotel for help to
the meeting location.

For those planning to attend the meeting by MAT Paratransit, schedule your
pickup time to the Raddison between 11 and 11:30 Am and your return trip
between 2:45 and 3:15 PM.

And, if you cannot join us at the Raddison for lunch and the meeting, you
can join us by phone by calling 712.832.8300 and entering the meeting room
ID 9381122# at 12:45 PM.

Feel free to invite friends either to join us at the Raddison or calling in
by phone.

2017 Scholarship Recipient from North Dakota

<The following was written by our 2017 Scholarship finalist to the National
Federation of the Blind Scholarship program. He and members of his family
will be attending the National convention in July with me. Congradulations
James!)

My name is James Yesel, and I am a scholarship finalist for the National
Federation of the Blind from North Dakota. I live in Bismarck, ND, and in
2018, I plan to graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration. Thanks
to the collaborative program between Bismarck State College and Dickinson
State University, I am able to stay in Bismarck. After graduating, my goal
is to start my own business, but I haven't decided which industry I want to
go into yet. 

I have a few hobbies that I like to do in my free time. First, fishing is
something I spend a lot of time doing in the summer. This summer, I am going
to Canada with some friends for a fishing trip. Then, my friends and I go on
the river often. Next, researching business opportunities is another hobby.
Furthermore, I enjoy researching modified vehicles and working on them with
my father. Those are some of my main hobbies. 

It is an honor to be a scholarship finalist for the NFB this year. The
scholarship money will go towards paying for my senior year tuition and
books, which I am thankful for. I am looking forward to meeting the mentors
and other finalists at the convention. Through emails and messages, I have
been able to get to know some of the other finalists, and it is awesome to
be in a group of such impressive people.

Legislative Update

Language to End Subminimum Wages Included in New Minimum Wage Bill

Baltimore, Maryland (May 25, 2017): 

The National Federation of the Blind today applauded the inclusion of
language in the Raise the Wage Act of 2017, simultaneously introduced in the
House and the Senate, which calls for the end of the payment of subminimum
wages to workers with disabilities.

Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
"The National Federation of the Blind has advocated for the elimination of
the subminimum wage since our founding. The recognition of this issue by
leaders in both houses of Congress and both parties confirms that the time
has long passed to eliminate the unfair and separate wage system for people
with disabilities. Time and time again, we have demonstrated that the idea
of people with disabilities being less productive is simply an antiquated
misconception that has been allowed to permeate throughout society. This
wrong and harmful notion has resulted in multiple generations of disabled
Americans being grossly underpaid and overly reliant on government
assistance programs to survive. We want to work. We want to rid society of
these low expectations. For those reasons, we applaud the promotion of
economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities set forth in the
bill."

Under current law, there is no minimum as to how little an employee with
disabilities can be paid. Some workers earn pennies per hour. Section 6 of
the Raise the Wage Act of 2017 would implement an immediate minimum wage of
$4.25 for all workers classified under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1938. This absolute minimum wage rate would increase by two
dollars per year until it matched the minimum wage earned by the rest of the
American workforce. At which point, employers would no longer be permitted
to pay employees with disabilities a subminimum wage.

We are making great progress on all of our legislative issues. We are up to
seventeen cosponsors on AIM HIGH, H.R. 1772, five cosponsors on the Access
Technology Affordability Act, H.R. 1734, and seven cosponsors on the TIME
Act, H.R. 1377. In the Senate, the Access Technology Affordability Act, S.
732, has one cosponsor. 

Congress will be in session all next week before taking their one-week
Memorial Day recess. Please contact your representative and ask them to
cosponsor H.R. 1772, H.R. 1734, and H.R. 1377. Please also call your two
senators and ask them to cosponsor S. 732.

A short summary of each bill is included below. I have also included a list
of all the current cosponsors.

The best way to contact your member of Congress is to call the Capitol
Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for the office in question. Emailing
your member of Congress is also a good idea. If you do so, please copy
JPare at nfb.org. 

You may also want to request a meeting with your member of Congress while
they are back in the district during the week of Memorial Day.

Bill Summaries

Accessible Instructional Material in Higher Education Act, H.R. 1772 (AIM
HIGH)

This bill will promote instructional technology and content that are
accessible to the blind and other students with print disabilities. Read the
AIM HIGH fact sheet to learn more.

Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017, H.R. 1734 and S. 732 (ATAA)

These bills will facilitate the purchase of access technology for blind
people by creating a refundable, per person tax credit. Read the Access
Technology Affordability Act of 2017 fact sheet to learn more.

Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act of 2017, H.R. 1377
(TIME)

This bill will increase employment opportunities by removing stigmas and low
expectations propagated by section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Note that the bill now phases out subminimum wages over a six year period
corresponding to the recommendation of the National Council on Disability.
Read the TIME Act fact sheet to learn more.

Current Cosponsors Listed Alphabetically By State

Accessible Instructional Material in Higher Education Act, H.R. 1772 (AIM
HIGH) 

Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1] - Sponsor

Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]

Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-3]

Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2]

Rep. Murphy, Stephanie N. [D-FL-7]

Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]

Rep. Kinzinger, Adam [R-IL-16]

Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]

Rep. Brooks, Susan W. [R-IN-5]

Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]

Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5]

Rep. Harper, Gregg [R-MS-3]

Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]

Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]

Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4]

Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-5]

Rep. Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large]

Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5]

Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017, H.R. 1734 and S. 732 (ATAA) 

Rep. Young, David [R-IA-3] - Sponsor

Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]

Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]

Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]

Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]

Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-16]

Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act of 2017, H.R. 1377
(TIME) 

Rep. Harper, Gregg [R-MS-3] - Sponsor

Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-42]

Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-15]

Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]

Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]

Rep. Lujan Grisham, Michelle [D-NM-1]

Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9]

Rep. Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer , Jenniffer [R-

[R-PR-AT large]

* *

Thank you for taking the time to read this NEWSWIRE! Please feel free to
share the content of this newsletter with your family, friends, in-laws and
out-laws.

The National Federation of the Blind of North Dakota is produced and edited
by Milton Ota. If you would like to submit an article for the Newswire, they
can be send to Milton via the e-mail address below.

Milton Ota, President

National Federation of the Blind of North Dakota

Web: http://nfbnd.org/

909 8th St., S.

Fargo, ND 58103-2723

Cell: (701) 731-0511

E-mail: mota1252 at gmail.com

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.

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