<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings Federationists: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Legislation in Florida is running hot in 2025! This email is a follow-up to our Legislative Committee meeting on Tuesday, February 25. We had an intense discussion on several issues that will negatively affect us as blind Floridians and now is the time for us to stand up and stand together against the tide. This is the first in a series of emails related to legislation introduced in both the Florida House and Senate. There will be a template at the bottom of this email, before my signature, that you may use for emails or phone calls as we rise up to combat legislation that will have a devastating effect on us. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Florida Senator Jennifer Bradley-R, District 6 has introduced SB1050, a bill designed to consolidate all disability services into the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Florida Representative Jennifer Kincart-Jonsson-R, District 49 introduced HB1103, a companion bill in the Florida House. The National Federation of the Blind is opposed to any consolidation of blind services into one general disability services agency. As of the writing of this email, no other state legislators have signed on in support of this bill, but our session opens on Tuesday, March 4. The session is open for 60 days, unless a special session is called to extend it. I have written below a template you may use to contact your state legislator. If you do not know who your state Representative and state Senator is, please visit each of the following websites to locate who your state legislator is: FLHouse.gov and FLSenate.gov. There is an email form under the contact link on each legislators page and it appears to be accessible. However, you may wish to call the office to obtain the email address of the legislator’s Legislative Director or Aide for direct contact. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Email Template: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dear [insert name of legislator]: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My name is [insert name]. I live in [insert city and state] and am your constituent. I am a member of the National Federation of the Blind of Florida, an affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s oldest and largest transformative civil rights organization of blind people. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am contacting you because legislation has been introduced that will have a negative effect on the lives and economic capacities of blind Floridians. Senate Bill 1050 and House Bill 1103 seeks to consolidate Division of Blind Services and division of Vocational Rehabilitation into one disability services agency. This consolidation will further decrease access for blind people to the tools and training necessary to be educated, employed and living to our fullest earnings capacity. Blind people have specialized training and equipment vital to our success and our needs will not be adequately met with a “once size fits all” approach. Attempts in the past have been made to put all disabilities into one agency and have failed, to the detriment of all. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I strongly urge that you support blind Floridians by keeping our vocational and educational needs in the separate agencies as it is now. I have attached a resolution passed by our convention body on November 10, 2024, which shares our belief that a separate agency serving blind people is more effective. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[insert name] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[insert any titles in the NFB] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Camille Tate, president<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>National Federation of the Blind of Florida <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Board of Directors <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="http://www.nfbflorida.org/"><span style='color:blue'>www.nfbflorida.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Tel: 321.372.4899<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>With love, hope and determination, we transform dreams into reality.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>