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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Adelmo Vigil [mailto:avigil74@gmail.com] <br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, March 08, 2017 8:17 PM<br><b>To:</b> Tonia Trapp<br><b>Subject:</b> FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Applauds Introduction of Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a name="_MailEndCompose"></a><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> NFBNet-Members-List [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>National Federation of the Blind via NFBNet-Members-List<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, March 8, 2017 4:31 PM<br><b>To:</b> nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Applauds Introduction of Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br><br>CONTACT:<br><br></b>Chris Danielsen<br><br>Director of Public Relations<br><br>National Federation of the Blind<br><br>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br><br>(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br><br><a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><h1 align=center style='text-align:center'>National Federation of the Blind Applauds Introduction of Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center'>Urges Swift Passage of Legislation to Create Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b>Baltimore, Maryland (March 8, 2017): </b>The National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest organization of blind Americans, today applauded the introduction of the Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment (TIME) Act of 2017 (H.R. 1377) by Representative Gregg Harper (R-MS). Congressman Harper introduced this legislation to remove barriers to employment opportunities for people with disabilities by phasing out Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and facilitating the transitioning of people with disabilities now working in segregated employment settings into competitive employment opportunities in their communities.<br><br>Congressman Gregg Harper said: “Section 14(c) of the FLSA, enacted out of a false understanding regarding the true capacity of people with disabilities, currently prevents nearly two-hundred thousand people with disabilities from gaining access to the work and training environments that build their capacity and allow them to acquire meaningful skills and better employment opportunities. Segregated work, which too often focuses on mundane tasks that are not transferrable to today's workplaces, is just an expression of low expectations that instills a false sense of incapacity in individuals who could become competitively employed with the proper training and support. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance the bipartisan goal of increasing and improving employment opportunities for all Americans with disabilities.”<br><br>Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The National Federation of the Blind and our partners representing the 55 million Americans with disabilities seek only the kind of meaningful, remunerative work that other Americans take for granted. We applaud Congressman Harper for rejecting over seventy years of entrenched but false thinking about the capacity of people with disabilities. We strongly urge his colleagues in both houses of the United States Congress to transition from an ineffective employment model to a policy that recognizes the individuality, interests, and skills of workers with disabilities and allows them to live the lives they want. I, like Congressmen Harper, want my own children to be free of the shackles of low expectations and to lead an employment revolution that empowers people with disabilities in the twenty-first century.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center'><b>###<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><i>About the National Federation of the Blind<br><br></i></b>The National Federation of the Blind 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><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td width=510 style='width:382.5pt;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr><td width=510 style='width:382.5pt;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal><br><br><br><br><br><a href="https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=6831&qid=1701305"><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=50 height=35 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D2984A.DD97F150" alt="Image removed by sender. Facebook Logo"></span></a> <br><br><a href="https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=6832&qid=1701305"><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=50 height=35 id="_x0000_i1026" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D2984A.DD97F150" alt="Image removed by sender. 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Donate to the NFB Icon."></span></a><br><br><b>National Federation of the Blind | 200 E Wells Street | Baltimore, MD 21230 | (410) 659-9314</b><br><a href="https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=5457&qid=1701305&h=ad104322766b2cd1"><b>Unsubscribe</b></a><b> | </b><a href="https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=5457&qid=1701305&h=ad104322766b2cd1">Opt Out </a><b>| </b><a href="https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=6837&qid=1701305">Sign up for email newsletter </a><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr><td width=510 style='width:382.5pt;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal><br>200 East Wells Street<br>Baltimore, MD 21230<br>United States<o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>