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</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>As promised from tonight’s Legislative Committee meeting, please find below pasted a board policy passed by the Board of Directors. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind of Florida Affiliate Policy 0323-2025<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>REGARDING THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL FROM AND DISMISSAL OF TEXAS V. KENNEDY<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>The national Federation of the Blind of Florida opposes the lawsuit filed by seventeen states’ attorneys general, alleging that Section 504 is unconstitutional and should be entirely or partially enjoined. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a landmark civil rights provision for people with disabilities, protecting us from discrimination by federal agencies and recipients of federal funding in public education, work readiness programs, healthcare, elections, the court system, and more. A status report was filed claiming Plaintiffs are not seeking to declare or enjoin Section 504 to be unconstitutional, however, Plaintiffs have chosen not to amend pages 37 and 42 of their complaint, which directly contradicts the statement: “Count 3: Section 504 is Unconstitutional,” and “Demand for Relief . . . d. Declare Section 504, 29 U.S.C. 794, unconstitutional; if Plaintiffs’ demand is granted, it will have a devastating impact on blind Americans’ rights to effective communication and reasonable accommodation in connection with government programs, services, and activities, including but not limited to education, employment, housing, healthcare, and other forms of civic life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>The national Federation of the Blind of Florida immediately calls upon the Florida Attorney General to withdraw their name from Texas v. Kennedy because of the far-reaching and harmful effects the lawsuit could have on Section 504 and the lives of blind and other disabled Americans.</span><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></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>