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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dear Federation Family,<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In this tremendous time of uncertainty and stress, I am so incredibly delighted to be able to share that our efforts in the Maryland General Assembly in 2020 were successful. This is particularly impressive considering the fact that the Maryland General Assembly will end its legislative session three weeks early, effective at the end of the day tomorrow, March 18, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Uplifting the Maryland Library for the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>On Monday, March 16, 2020, the Maryland State Senate passed HB604, and the House of Delegates quickly followed on March 17 when it passed SB326. Both bills are identical in that they: 1) change the name of the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped to the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled; and 2) ensure that one member of the Maryland State Library Board is a blind patron. Senator King was our lead sponsor in the Senate, and Delegate Cathi Forbes was our lead sponsor in the House. Delegate Forbes is brand new to the Maryland legislature and this is her first bill. Our bills passed each house in which they were introduced and then sailed through passage by the opposite chamber. Though we only needed one of the chambers to pass the other chamber’s bill, it is a testiment to your hard work as advocates that both chambers passed both bills. Next, the legislation heads to the Governor for his signature!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Non-Visual Access to Information Related to Electric Dockless Scooters<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>On Monday, March 16, 2020, the Maryland State Senate passed HB557. This bill: 1) requires electric dockless scooter sharing companies to include tactile contact information on their scooters; and 2) requires electric dockless scooter companies to make their websites and mobile applications accessible. The companion bill in the Senate was SB607. Senator Benson was our lead sponsor in the Senate, and Delegate Attar was our lead sponsor in the House. Delegate Attar introduced this as her first ever bill in the 2019 legislative session, and though we got good tracgtion on the bill, the legislative session ended a day early due to the passing of the Speaker of the House of Delegates, which prevented us from getting this legislation finalized last year. Nonetheless, Delegate Attar and Senator Benson spearheaded the effort to move the bill quickly this session, and they, with your hard work and advocacy, were successful. We now await for Governor Hogan’s signature on this bill.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Desegregating Voting Due to Disability<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We were less successful with SB757 and HB1314, which identical bills that required the Maryland Board of Elections to use the an accessible voting method as the default voting method in Maryland in order to desegregate voting due to disability. Though we had really successful bill hearings, the GeneralAssembly did not act on this initiative during the 2020 session and does not have sufficient time before the legislature adjourns to do so. Nonetheless, we will continue fighting for this critical bill next year and as long as it takes to resgtore the secret ballot.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Center for Excellence in Non-Visual Access Funding<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The funding we fought to protect in the Maryland 2021 budget for the Center for Excellence in Non-Visual Access is in the final budget. Once again, we were successful at ensuring that the blind in Maryland receive services that are accessible by helping to create a resource for entities to use when needing to know how to make technology or information accessible.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Other Initiatives<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We have also worked hard on a number of other initiatives in the legislature that, though they were not part of our 2020 Day in Annapolis priorities nonetheless are important to our movement. Sometimes we work to push an initiative, and other times we work just as hard to prevent one from going forward that will harm our members. This year, we were directly involved in 20 separate bills. Below are two that are of particular significance.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Textbook Access: We worked to ensure that a bill in the Maryland General Assembly that created a mechanism for college students to find no-cost or low-cost textbooks also required anything listed in that directory to be accessible. This bill has passed both chambers and is awaiting the Governor’s signature.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Deaf Blind Facilitator Program: We worked with the Maryland Department of Disabilities to move the Telecommunications Access of Maryland (TAM) Program out of the Maryland Department of Information Technology (DOIT) into the Department of Disabilities so that our members can receive better quality services and better access to those services. This bill also creates the statutory authority for a deaf blind facilitator program that will ensure telecommunication for the unique needs of deaf blind Marylanders is addressed through the implementation of this new program. This bill has passed the Senate and is working its way through the House, but we are very optimistic that it will pass before sine dye (legislative adjournment).<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Your Advocacy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>You are vital to our efforts. More than 60 of you attended our Annual Day in Annapolis where we met with all 188 members of the Maryland General Assembly. Dozens of you attended hearings, and many of you testified. Still, hundreds of you wrote letters to your delegates and senators about our initiatives. This is collective action at work, and this is why we are such a powerhouse advocacy organization.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Tremendous Gratitude<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We are successful in Annapolis and with legislative advocacy because we have a true Master leading us. Sharon Maneki commands any room in Annapolis she enters, and Delegates and Senators flock to her to say hello and ask her opinion about issues. She is a mastermind of advocacy strategy, and we are lucky to have her mind, energy, and efforts pushing our agenda. I’m personaally so grateful she is on our side instead of on the opposition, and I know those of you who have seen her in action agree. Please join me in expressing heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to Sharon Maneki, our Director of Legislation and Advocacy.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Yours,<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ronza<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>President</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>