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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=JHartle@nfb.org href="mailto:JHartle@nfb.org">Hartle, Jesse</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Friday, March 27, 2009 1:23 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Legislative Alert-Immediate Action Needed to Support The
Higher Education Textbook Commission</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Fellow
Federationists:<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>It has come to my
attention that Congressman Yarmuth of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:State></st1:place> has circulated a Dear Colleague
letter in support of funding the Commission that will study ways to provide
accessible textbooks to Blind students in higher education.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This Commission was created in the
Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and passed by Congress last
year.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>It is urgent that we
contact members of the House of Representatives and ask them to sign on to
Congressman Yarmuth’s Dear Colleague letter.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If funding is not provided in the
Appropriations process, no work will be done to correct the problems that Blind
students face in obtaining accessible textbooks.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>We worked very hard
to get the language in the Higher Education legislation to solve this problem,
and now we need to do our best to ensure funding is provided.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman Yarmuth
is holding the letter open for cosigners through Wednesday, April 1.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Currently, only 6 members of the House
have signed on to the letter and I have listed them below.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>If your
Representative wants to be added to this letter he or she should contact Lillian
Pace in Congressman Yarmuth’s office.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>You can be connected to your Representatives office by calling the
Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Please contact me
with any questions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I thank all of
you for your hard work on this important
issue.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT
color=#000000>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Jesse M.
Hartle<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Government Programs
Specialist<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>NATIONAL FEDERATION
OF THE BLIND<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>(410) 659-9314,
extension 2233<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT color=#000000><FONT size=3>E-mail:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT><A
href="mailto:jhartle@nfb.org"><FONT
size=3>jhartle@nfb.org</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><U><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Cosigners of Dear
Colleague Letter<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></U></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman
Yarmuth<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman
McDermott <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman Conyers
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman Hinojosa
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman Bobby
Scott <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman
Petri<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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