<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" 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"><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19403">
<STYLE>@font-face {
font-family: Calibri;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Trebuchet MS;
}
@page WordSection1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in; margin: 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; }
P.MsoNormal {
MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; FONT-SIZE: 11pt
}
LI.MsoNormal {
MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; FONT-SIZE: 11pt
}
DIV.MsoNormal {
MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; FONT-SIZE: 11pt
}
H1 {
MARGIN: 7.5pt 0in; FONT-FAMILY: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; LETTER-SPACING: -0.6pt; COLOR: #5a2356; FONT-SIZE: 24pt; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-line-height-alt: 12.0pt; mso-style-priority: 9; mso-style-link: "Heading 1 Char"
}
A:link {
COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99
}
SPAN.MsoHyperlink {
COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99
}
A:visited {
COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99
}
SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {
COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99
}
SPAN.EmailStyle17 {
FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; COLOR: windowtext; mso-style-type: personal-compose
}
SPAN.Heading1Char {
FONT-FAMILY: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; LETTER-SPACING: -0.6pt; COLOR: #5a2356; mso-style-priority: 9; mso-style-link: "Heading 1"; mso-style-name: "Heading 1 Char"
}
.MsoChpDefault {
mso-style-type: export-only
}
DIV.WordSection1 {
page: WordSection1
}
</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 bgColor=#ffffff vLink=purple>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Please sign this.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Sincerely,<BR>Melissa and Pj<BR>Happiness always looks small while you hold
it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it
is. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=ALewis@nfb.org href="mailto:ALewis@nfb.org">Lewis, Anil</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=ALewis@nfb.org href="mailto:ALewis@nfb.org">Lewis,
Anil</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, March 21, 2013 7:18 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [Chapter-presidents] Please Sign and Circulate the Petition
to Support Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=WordSection1>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.5pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 7.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 12.0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.6pt; COLOR: #5a2356; FONT-SIZE: 18pt"
lang=EN>Petition to Support Fair Wages<BR>for Workers with Disabilities
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 12.0pt"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 12.0pt"
class=MsoNormal><A
href="http://www.nfb.org/fair-wages-petition">www.nfb.org/fair-wages-petition</A><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt"
lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 12.0pt"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 12.0pt"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt"
lang=EN>We, the undersigned, are Americans with disabilities who are adversely
affected by subminimum wage payments to workers with disabilities;
representatives of organizations made up of, and working on behalf of, Americans
with disabilities; friends and family members of individuals who have
disabilities; and other concerned citizens who believe in fairness and
equality. We all speak in support of the repeal of Section 14(c) of the
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which authorizes Special Wage Certificates that
permit employers to pay workers with disabilities subminimum wages, some as low
as 3 cents per hour.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; MARGIN-TOP: 12pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; MARGIN-TOP: 12pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt"
lang=EN>We reject the low expectations for, the false view of the true capacity
of, and the misguided compassion used to justify this discrimination against
workers with disabilities. This provision has existed for over seventy
years, and rather than creating real employment opportunities for workers with
disabilities, it has relegated hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities
to segregated, subminimum wage work environments, perpetuated the misconception
that workers with disabilities do not have the capacity for productive
employment, and masked the need for further development and implementation of
innovative employment strategies for the competitive integrated employment of
people with disabilities.<BR><BR><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; MARGIN-TOP: 12pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt"
lang=EN>We all believe that the future prospects for workers with disabilities
are limited only by the spirit, ambition, and imagination of Americans with
disabilities, and by the willingness of society to expand and implement
enlightened policies that will help them succeed. We adamantly assert that
as long as workers with disabilities are denied the same workforce protections
as every other American citizen, and the solution to the employment dilemma of
workers with disabilities is thought to be their continued segregation in
subminimum-wage work environments, our society will never truly implement the
innovative employment strategies that empower workers with disabilities to fully
participate in the workforce.<BR><BR><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; MARGIN-TOP: 12pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 135%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; COLOR: #333333; FONT-SIZE: 9pt"
lang=EN>For these reasons, we, the undersigned, urge the repeal of Section 14(c)
of the Fair Labor Standards Act in order to abolish the unfair, discriminatory,
immoral practice of paying workers with disabilities subminimum wages; to
reverse over seventy years of mistaken institutionalized thinking about the
employment capacity of people with disabilities; and to incentivize the
development, implementation, and use of innovative strategies for their
competitive, integrated employment.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>To sign the petition, visit <A
href="http://www.nfb.org/fair-wages-petition">www.nfb.org/fair-wages-petition</A>
<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Mr. Anil Lewis, M.P.A.<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Director of Advocacy and Policy<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>“Eliminating Subminimum Wages for People with Disabilities”
<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>http://www.nfb.org/fairwages<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Baltimore, Maryland 21230<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>(410) 659-9314 ext. 2374 (Voice)<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>(410) 685-5653 (FAX)<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Email: alewis@nfb.org<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Web: www.nfb.org<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>twitter: @anillife <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P>_______________________________________________<BR>Chapter-presidents
mailing
list<BR>Chapter-presidents@nfbnet.org<BR>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/chapter-presidents_nfbnet.org<BR>To
unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Chapter-presidents:<BR>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/chapter-presidents_nfbnet.org/graduate56%40juno.com</BODY></HTML>