<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph
{mso-style-priority:34;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ligatures:none;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:1354070640;
mso-list-template-ids:-402749034;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Agree!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> NFB-DB <nfb-db-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Maurice A. Mines via NFB-DB<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, August 15, 2024 3:27 PM<br><b>To:</b> NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List <nfb-db@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> Maurice A. Mines <nfbdbpresident@mmines.org><br><b>Subject:</b> [NFB-DB] HKNC letter, on behalf of nfbdb, and Nfb<br><b>Importance:</b> High<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:13.8pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>The National Federation of the Blind DeafBlind Division understands that the work that the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC) does is important for DeafBlind persons who are in need of adjustment training. We strongly urge this institution to implement the changes listed below.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:13.8pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>The HKNC should actively engage in finding and employing more blind and/or DeafBlind staff members. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:13.8pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>The HKNC should strive to have a majority of its board of directors be DeafBlind people. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:13.8pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>3.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>The HKNC should recruit and employ a DeafBlind director in order to instill community support among current students, consumer organizations, and the DeafBlind, ourselves.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:13.8pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>4.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>We believe that it is critical for students to seek competent role models in teaching positions. This shows students that after their training is completed, they too can live the lives they want.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'>We urge the Helen Keller National Center to work closely with the NFB DeafBlind Division and the National Federation of the Blind on these matters.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif'> Copy division board, and interested persons.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt'>Maurice A. Mines, President <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt'>National Federation of the Blind Deaf-Blind Division <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt'>Email: <a href="mailto:nfbdbpresident@mmines.org">nfbdbpresident@mmines.org</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt'>Website: <a href="http://www.nfb.org/">www.nfb.org</a> <<a href="http://www.nfbdeaf-blind.org/">http://www.nfbdeaf-blind.org</a>> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt'>Live the life you want. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt'>The National Federation of the Blind Deaf-Blind Division, a proud division <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt'>of the National Federation of the Blind, is a community of members and <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt'>friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt'>we work together to help blind people live the lives they want. <o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>