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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:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Hello once again,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>It looks like we are busy at work advocating for the rights of blind individuals. Please read the letter below, and even though you may not be a guide dog user, please help us by </span>calling your representative in the House and urge them to either remove Section 437 from H.R. 302 in its entirety, or align the language with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. You can contact your member of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for the office in question. The number is: 202-224-3121.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Thank you for your continued support in fighting for equality for all.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Best Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Juanita Herrera, Vice President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation Of The Blind Of California, San Fernando Valley Chapter<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Begin forwarded message:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b>From:</b> Marion Gwizdala via NAGDU <<a href="mailto:nagdu@nfbnet.org">nagdu@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Date:</b> September 26, 2018 at 6:30:51 AM PDT<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:nagdu@nfbnet.org">nagdu@nfbnet.org</a>, <a href="mailto:flagdu@nfbnet.org">flagdu@nfbnet.org</a>, <a href="mailto:coagdu@nfbnet.org">coagdu@nfbnet.org</a>, <a href="mailto:mjagdu@nfbnet.org">mjagdu@nfbnet.org</a>, <a href="mailto:nyagdu@nfbnet.org">nyagdu@nfbnet.org</a>, <a href="mailto:vaagdu@nfbnet.org">vaagdu@nfbnet.org</a><br><b>Cc:</b> Marion Gwizdala <<a href="mailto:president@nagdu.org">president@nagdu.org</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[NAGDU] Urgent: FAA Reauthorization</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <<a href="mailto:nagdu@nfbnet.org">nagdu@nfbnet.org</a>><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Fellow Federationists,<br><br>Please see the letter below from President Riccobono to members of<br>Congress regarding the FAA Reauthorization and feel free to disseminate<br>this as widely as appropriate.<br><br>Please call your representative in the House and urge them to either<br>remove Section 437 from H.R. 302 in its entirety, or align the language<br>with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. You can contact your<br>member of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for the<br>office in question. The number is 202-224-3121.<br><br>Fraternally Yours,<br>Marion Gwizdala<br>NAGDU President<br><br>September 25, 2018<br><br>Re: Section 437 of FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018<br><br>Dear Chairman Thune, Ranking Member Nelson, Chairman Shuster, and Ranking<br>Member DeFazio:<br><br>The National Federation of the Blind and its special interest division,<br>the National Association of Guide Dog Users, strongly oppose Section 437<br>of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 302). The proposed measures<br>detailed in this section infringe upon the civil rights of the blind by<br>imposing unnecessary and burdensome restrictions upon those of us who use<br>trained guide dogs, including people who train their own guide dogs. The<br>purpose of this letter is to address some of our main concerns with the<br>proposed language. We would welcome the opportunity to work with Congress<br>to seek a solution that is satisfactory to all stakeholders.<br><br>One concern we have with the bill is requiring guide dog users to produce<br>photographic identification of our guide dogs. This would only serve to<br>enhance the sham cottage industry of fraudulent service animal<br>certifications. Such restrictions would do nothing to curb those<br>counterfeiters who attempt to take advantage of our civil rights in order<br>to avoid legitimate fees charged by air carriers for the carriage of pets.<br><br>In addition, requiring guide dog users to obtain immunization records<br>prior to traveling on an aircraft restricts the freedom of movement for<br>the blind to travel for emergencies or simply take a spontaneous trip.<br>This requirement is therefore discriminatory by creating a separate and<br>unequal encumbrance on the blind not imposed upon our sighted peers.<br><br>We urge that Section 437 is either eliminated in its entirety or amended<br>to align with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which provides<br>sufficient protections for entities by allowing for the exclusion of any<br>animal exhibiting disruptive behavior. We further urge the implementation<br>of legal sanctions for the fraudulent misrepresentation of an animal as a<br>service animal rather than imposing undue burdens on those of us who use<br>legitimate specifically trained service animals.<br><br>We appreciate your immediate attention to this matter and we are available<br>to meet to discuss this further. I can be reached by phone at<br>410-659-9314, or by email at <a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">officeofthepresident@nfb.org</a>.<br><br>Sincerely,<br>Mark A. Riccobono, President<br>National Federation of the Blind<br><br><br><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>NAGDU mailing list<br><a href="mailto:NAGDU@nfbnet.org">NAGDU@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org</a><br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NAGDU:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rstigile%40gmail.com">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rstigile%40gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></body></html>