<div dir='auto'><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote" dir="auto"><br type="attribution"><blockquote class="quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto">This would be disastrous to all v.r. programs, essentially eliminating ALL V.R. prograns and the BEP, as well as putting hundreds of blind New Yorkers out of work. Call your senators NOW. This could happen as early as FRIDAY!<br><br><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">Mike Robinson<br>(716) 222-3632<br>(716) 222-3NFB</div><div dir="auto" class="elided-text"><br><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 0.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto"><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 0.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 0.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div>
<p><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b></p>
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<h1 align="center" style="margin-top:0in;text-align:center"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">Organization Says Senate Tax Bill Disastrous for Education, Employment of Blind Americans</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif"></span></h1>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">National Federation of the Blind Denounces Tax Cuts and Jobs Act</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif"></span></p>
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<p><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">Baltimore, Maryland (November 29, 2017):</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif"> The National Federation of the Blind officially opposes the
United States Senate’s current Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">The organization cites a probable dramatic increase in unemployment among blind Americans, which already approaches sixty percent, as the reason for its opposition.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">According to projections by the Congressional Budget Office, the losses in tax revenue under the TCJA will be so high, at least initially, that they will trigger the “pay-as-you-go”
rules of the Office of Management and Budget. This will eliminate funding for vital programs and services for the blind, such as Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding. These vital services link blind
people to educational and employment opportunities by providing the training and resources that they need.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">The 2015 American Community Survey, the most recent data available, reported that, for working age adults reporting significant vision loss, only 42.0% were employed.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">“The detrimental impact the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have on blind Americans cannot be denied,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “This
bill slams the door on education and vocational rehabilitation, and ultimately on employment, for some seven million blind Americans. We call upon the United States Senate either to protect these critical programs and services, or to vote no.”</span></p>
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">###</span></b></p>
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<p><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">About the National Federation of the Blind
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB consists
of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision,
and more. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at
</span><a href="http://www.nfb.org"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">www.nfb.org</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">.
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<p><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">CONTACT:</span></b></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">Chris Danielsen</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">Director of Public Relations</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">National Federation of the Blind</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">(410) 659-9314, extension 2330</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">(410) 262-1281 (Cell)</span></p>
<p><a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif">cdanielsen@nfb.org</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'arial' , sans-serif"></span></p>
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</blockquote></div><p style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:23.296px"><br>See link below from NFB website. Communications received today from Fred Schroeder seem to indicate this is likely to happen. If so, likely hundreds of blind NYS residents would lose their jobs, services would end, and probably BEP would shut down completely among other things. This is very serious.</p><p style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:23.296px"><a href="https://nfb.org/blog/article/3408" style="color:rgb( 66 , 133 , 244 )">https://nfb.org/blog/article/<wbr>3408</a></p></blockquote></div><br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></blockquote></div><br></div>