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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> National Federation of the Blind <communicationsteam@nfb.org> <br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, March 18, 2019 12:07 PM<br><b>To:</b> Mr. Milton Ota <mota1252@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Another Casting Disaster – It’s Time to Act!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'><tr style='height:15.0pt'><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:15.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=600 style='width:6.25in'><tr><td style='background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%'><tr style='height:7.5pt'><td width="100%" valign=top style='width:100.0%;background:#0075C9;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:7.5pt'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'><img width=600 height=28 style='width:6.25in;height:.2916in' id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D4DE37.AA077510" alt="Image removed by sender."></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td style='background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%'><tr style='height:7.5pt'><td width="100%" valign=top style='width:100.0%;background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:7.5pt'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'><img width=200 height=220 style='width:2.0833in;height:2.2916in' id="_x0000_i1026" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D4DE37.AA077510" alt="Image removed by sender. National Federation of the Blind logo and tagline live the life you want"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td style='background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;border-color:initial'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width=600 style='width:6.25in'><tr style='height:15.0pt'><td width="100%" valign=top style='width:100.0%;background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:15.0pt'><h1>Another Casting Disaster. It's Time to Act!<o:p></o:p></h1><p>Dozens of movies and TV shows featuring blind characters, usually offensively or inaccurately, have been produced and not one of them featured a blind actor in the lead role. An upcoming television series, “In the Dark,” that is scheduled to premiere in April tells a story of a blind woman. The actor who plays this leading role is NOT blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Blind characters need to be played by blind people. We are launching an ongoing effort to engage with the entertainment industry to work proactively with us to identify and develop the talent of blind actors rather than focusing on casting sighted actors under cover of the spurious claim that blind talent cannot be found.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Join this quest to create change.<o:p></o:p></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Connect with us if you have ever been discouraged from being an actor or performer. Email your story to cdanielsen@nfb.org.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Share the national press release with your local media such as newspapers - https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/blind-americans-protest-refusal-entertainment-industry-cast-them<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #LetUsPlayUs<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p>The shameful history of Hollywood defining us without our participation ends now. Together with love, hope, and determination, we transform dreams into reality by ending this discrimination.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Act today!<o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr style='height:6.0pt'><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:6.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;display:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=600 style='width:6.25in;background:#002F6D'><tr style='height:45.0pt'><td width=135 style='width:101.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:45.0pt'></td><td width=55 style='width:41.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:45.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:white !msorm'><span style='color:windowtext'><a href="https://nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=14000&qid=2640571"><span style='color:blue !msorm'><span style='color:white;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=100 height=100 style='width:1.0416in;height:1.0416in' id="_x0000_i1027" src="cid:~WRD000.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender. 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