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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Threat to US braille User's, with potential ramifications to International Copyright Agreements concerning the sharing of Digital Braille and Audio Downloadable Materials...<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Consider before you reflexively delete, if you use BARD, Learning Allies, Bookshare, whether you are a Braille or Audio Downloader of Materials covered by International Copyright Conventions and agreements to share Accessible Materials among its signatories...<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#F1F1F1;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='background:#F1F1F1;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=690 style='width:517.5pt;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=690 valign=top style='width:517.5pt;background:white;padding:10.5pt 10.5pt 10.5pt 10.5pt'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a href="http://clicks.memberclicks-mail.net/ls/click?upn=u001.zQMtDyzPkxw9dikwotiInngMXfx-2BuCFdy4Zx8aSE9r-2Ft0vy1eIV2uHSRYUh86OLZIBKRFPSoZT0B1Of4ysjlQYHFJaxvV2x314a6QmKrWKFi2dVr-2FqpHZlu9QSbmLh-2F-2FbFTi_W4iMChqIu-2BRfwYZN77WkynK4mrQncKwJU-2BO9rS83TineB4MC3RQ-2Baxuc-2FwEIfXEUgbHU7hZ9cLwzxQO02-2BEs4uOX7Fkx3il2Z-2BlVsA4cug4WliHGdNTSwrLSyrdRt3W0nzdCgvnMkEiMHNVpGt81Pwqu0UhUUnk67tyMpHrxDpEjmzRt3IUU4IncfiJPx7vk28U96bvdyxYjReI0ckI0Ik1KphTqRwfTJ4FdosmGkHSinZjBF8jTbhd-2B2SUSxSaf98r541lnvM-2FiSvlDK0G83qE46VNePtdjeFWETlwMnP9pqnbROr95MgdANhK2BA7d" target="_blank"><span style='color:#236FA1;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=250 height=125 style='width:2.6041in;height:1.302in' id="Picture_x0020_7" src="cid:~WRD0000.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender. AER logo featuring light blue curve lines creating the shape of the eye, lowercase aer in dark blue with a lightblue line underneath with the text: Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind & Visually Impaired"></span></a><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;background:white;vertical-align:top'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt;overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='border:none;border-top:solid #000099 4.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;border-spacing: 0;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-line-height-alt:0pt'><span style='font-size:1.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;background:white;vertical-align:top'><span style='color:black;display:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:3.75pt 11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt;overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word'><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>Dear AER members and allies,</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>We need your help.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>On September 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education issued non-continuation notices to all three national Braille Training Grants under the 235E Demonstration Program: Braille Training. This means that for the first time in decades, there will be no federal support for developing specialized braille training resources in the United States.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>The three programs that have been eliminated are:</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3'><strong><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>California State University, Los Angeles</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'> – focused on braille and technology training</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3'><strong><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>University of Massachusetts at Boston</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'> – focused on professional development across the lifespan</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3'><strong><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>University of South Carolina Upstate</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'> – focused on preparing new teachers and service providers</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>This decision impacts the entire field:</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo6'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>No new training resources for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) to provide braille literacy to their students.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo6'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>No additional training for Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (VRTs) to serve adults.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo6'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>No professional development or technology innovation to address the braille literacy crisis across the lifespan.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p style='line-height:140%'><strong><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>Why This Requires Your Voice</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><br></span><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>Each of the three universities is pursuing its own appeal through their institutional channels. At the same time, AER is opening a fourth front, mobilizing our membership to apply direct political pressure. Unlike the DeafBlind campaign, this effort is more nuanced and requires personal outreach. The Department’s decision to terminate an entire braille program category cannot go unchallenged.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>It is also important to note: all the programs that received non-continuation notices this cycle were related to sensory impairments. This is a targeted and disproportionate impact on children and adults who are blind, DeafBlind, or low vision.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><strong><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>Action Steps</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p><ol start=1 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo9'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>Call your U.S. Senators’ offices, especially if you live in West Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Texas.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></li><ul type=circle><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo9'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>Ask to speak with a senior staffer in the state or district office.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo9'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>Stress that this is not a budget issue. It is a policy choice that wipes out all federal braille training programs nationwide.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo9'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>Frame your message with these points:</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></li><ul type=circle><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo9'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>Braille is literacy. Without it, students and adults lose access to education, employment, and independence.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo9'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>Eliminating these grants means there will be no national support for specialized braille training for TVIs or VRTs.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo9'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>This decision harms one of the most underserved disability groups, those with sensory impairments.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo9'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>Some projects had a strong 6-year track record of success and impact.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo9'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>The effect is national, not local, and every state benefits from the professionals trained in these programs.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#151515;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:16.8pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo9'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'>Share this request with your networks. AER is working alongside our sister organizations to elevate this issue.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><strong><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>Why Calls Matter</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><br></span><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>Emails are too easily ignored. Calls to state offices of U.S. Senators carry weight. Especially when they come from constituents. We must ensure that Senators, particularly Republicans in the targeted states, intervene directly with the Department of Education.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>AER stands with the California State University, Los Angeles, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the University of South Carolina Upstate. Eliminating these grants is unacceptable. Together, we must make clear that braille literacy is a national priority.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>With urgency and appreciation,</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><br></span><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>Lee Sonnenberg, MA</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><br></span><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>Executive Director</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><br></span><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind & Visually Impaired</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:140%'><em><span style='font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'>Please email <a href="mailto:aer@aerbvi.org"><span style='font-style:normal'>aer@aerbvi.org</span></a> to update your email or to unsubscribe from advocacy specific emails.</span></em><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:140%;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#151515'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=690 style='width:517.5pt;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=690 valign=top style='width:517.5pt;background:white;padding:7.5pt 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 0in 7.5pt'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a href="http://clicks.memberclicks-mail.net/ls/click?upn=u001.zQMtDyzPkxw9dikwotiInngMXfx-2BuCFdy4Zx8aSE9r-2Ft0vy1eIV2uHSRYUh86OLZIBKRFPSoZT0B1Of4ysjlQYHFJaxvV2x314a6QmKrWKFi2dVr-2FqpHZlu9QSbmLh-2F-2FCE28_W4iMChqIu-2BRfwYZN77WkynK4mrQncKwJU-2BO9rS83TineB4MC3RQ-2Baxuc-2FwEIfXEUgbHU7hZ9cLwzxQO02-2BEs4uOX7Fkx3il2Z-2BlVsA4cug4WliHGdNTSwrLSyrdRt3W0nzdCgvnMkEiMHNVpGt81Pwqu0UhUUnk67tyMpHrxDpHET3DphlNjPAoqeE-2FqfIiyYJxNA5TG4p4kNxhNZXw2a22fIMogGmJ4mQ8Jl55-2FSdKMBHi8Ky8Ko2bSiGXG2ZhpuMyjuqYHFGfp19apD5J9MW5zzISXpo3Ml1mtLsFslDtQbGi1VPbBDNUbavPEjnPj" target="_blank"><span style='color:#236FA1;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=167 height=84 style='width:1.7395in;height:.875in' id="Picture_x0020_6" src="cid:~WRD0000.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender. 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