<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><br><br><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> nfb.az.president@gmail.com<br><b>Date:</b> February 19, 2023 at 7:47:22 PM MST<br><b>To:</b> nfbaz-news@az.nfb.org<br><b>Cc:</b> Jordan Moon <JMoon@saavi.us>, Bob Kresmer <krezguy@cox.net>, Donna Silba <dsilba@cox.net>, marc schmidt <nfbazwest@gmail.com>, Amy Porterfield <APorterfield@saavi.us>, Joanne Williams <JWilliams@saavi.us>, Rachel Kuntz <rachelrkuntz@gmail.com>, Tarik Williams <TWilliams@saavi.us>, Mark Feliz <mafeliz0641@gmail.com>, Sharonda Goode <s.goode1013@gmail.com>, jean parker <radioforever@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Legislative Alert - Needs Immediate Response</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Hello everyone,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Last week Senator Wadsack from District 17, introduced SB1402 which expands the scope of the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind to serve students with all disabilities thus eliminating the specialized education provided to students who are deaf blind. This bill is moving very quickly through the senate, and has already passed through the education committee, passing 4 to 3.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">This bill is being heard in the rules committee tomorrow, Monday, 2/20/2023, at 1:00 p.m., and we need everyone to email or call all of the senators serving on this committee.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The National Federation of the Blind of Arizona is strongly opposed to this bill, as it eliminates the specialized learning environment for blind students, minimizes the critical importance of teachers of blind students, and minimizes the importance of the education in the alternative skills of blindness like Braille, tactile graphics literacy, expanded core curriculum with services like Cane travel. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Please email the following senators today:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">District 14: Senator Warren Petersen, (Chair) <a href="mailto:WPETERSEN@azleg.gov">WPETERSEN@azleg.gov</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">District 30: Senator Sunny Borrelli, (Vice Chair) <a href="mailto:SBORRELLI@azleg.gov">SBORRELLI@azleg.gov</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">District 5: Senator Lela Alston <a href="mailto:LALSTON@azleg.gov">LALSTON@azleg.gov</a>, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">District 11: Senator Catherine Miranda, <a href="mailto:CMIRANDA@azleg.gov">CMIRANDA@azleg.gov</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">District 16: Senator Thomas T.J. Shope, <a href="mailto:TSHOPE@azleg.gov">TSHOPE@azleg.gov</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">District 25: Senator Sine Kerr, <a href="mailto:SKERR@azleg.gov">SKERR@azleg.gov</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">District 26: Senator Raquel Terán, <a href="mailto:RTERAN@azleg.gov">RTERAN@azleg.gov</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Here is a sample email:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Dear Senator,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">My name is --- and I am a member of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind is a specialized school providing dedicated and specific educational programming targeting the specific needs for students who are deaf, blind, or who are Deafblind. Serving these populations require specific and targeted teacher competency and curriculum and are completely unduplicated in any other setting.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Expanding the definition of student eligibility to other types of disabilities without the existence of blindness, deafness, or those with combined hearing and vision loss, Eliminates the specialized learning environment for students with visual, or hearing impairments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Please include a personal statement. Here are a couple of examples.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">As a student who attended a specialized school for the Blind, I received hands on learning with other blind students where we all learned in a tactile non-visual manner. These specialized skills allowed me to learn the critical STEM concepts I needed in a specialized way. I learned Orientation and Mobility which allowed me to travel independently in college and all aspects of life using my long white cane. When I learned Braille, I gained the literacy I needed to attend college and in all areas of life in literacy. Expanding the definition will change the learning environment so that blind students no longer have the dedicated learning environment they need to gain the fundamental educational building blocks they need and deserve.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">If you did not attend a school for the blind you could say:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">As a blind person, I know the importance of specialized blindness skills like Braille, cane training, and hands on learning to gain important concepts in math and science. If you include all other disabilities, you take away the learning environment blind students need to gain the fundamental educational building blocks they need.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Donald<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Donald Porterfield, Esq.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">National Federation of the Blind of Arizona<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><a href="http://www.az.nfb.org"><span style="color:#0563C1">http://www.az.nfb.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><a href="mailto:nfb.az.president@gmail.com"><span style="color:#0563C1">nfb.az.president@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">520-850-2180<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></blockquote></body></html>