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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings North Dakota Federation Family and Friends<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please take a moment to call Senator Hoeven’s office. We need him to sponsor S.815 Access to Technology Affordability Act. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This week there will be hearings held in congress regarding COVID. We are hoping to have the Access Technology Affordability Act to be included in the COVID package which will give blind Americans a $2,000 tax credit for the purchase of assistive technology every three years. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We have co-sponsors from Senator Kevin Cramer and representative Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota. We need to urge Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota to co-sponsor this bill. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Currently, we, as an organization have 112 co-sponsors in the house and 23 in the senate. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Your calls to Senator Hoeven’s office are so urgently needed at this time. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"ITC Avant Garde Gothic W01 Md",serif;color:#464646;background:white'>Please call Senator Hoeven’s office in Washington D.C. at 202-224-2551</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When you call Senator Hoeven’s office, you might say something like: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hello my name is (your name) and I am a constituent of Senator Hoeven. I live in (city) North Dakota.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am calling to urge Senator Hoeven to co-sponsor bill S.815 the Access to Technology Affordability Act. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am blind and this bill would allow for a tax credit of $2,000 for the purchase of assistive technology such as screen readers, braille embossers and the assistive technology I need to attend college, to work and to conduct my daily tasks. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I urge Senator Hoeven to co-sponsor S.815. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You can call Senator Hoeven’s office directly by calling<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"ITC Avant Garde Gothic W01 Md",serif;color:#464646;background:white'>202-224-2551</span> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please let me know when you call. I am the affiliate Legislative Director and I am keeping track of our calls. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The more cosponsors we have in the House and Senate, the more likely Congress will include this bill in the next COVID-19 package. That package is likely to pass sometime in July, so we need to continue to build cosponsor support quickly. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks so much! You are all needed and extremely valuable to our federation family!!! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please feel welcome to contact me with any questions. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sherry Shirek<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of North Dakota<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Legislative Director <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Email <a href="mailto:sherrybeth7@gmail.com">sherrybeth7@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cell 701-781-3055<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Call or text <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>