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<DIV><SPAN class=578134212-05102011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>I
don't know what happened, so here it is again. This is indeed a red letter day
in the nation. Please read the press release below.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=578134212-05102011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=578134212-05102011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial>Cathy</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Freeh, Jessica
[mailto:JFreeh@nfb.org]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, October 04, 2011 4:36
PM<BR><B>To:</B> Alpidio Rolon; Amy Buresh; Art Schreiber; Beth Rival; Bill
Packee; Bob Kresmer; Carl Jacobsen; Cassandra McNabb; Cathy Jackson; Charlene
Smyth; Christine G. Hall; Dan Hicks; Daniel Burke; Don Galloway; Donna Wood;
Duane Iverson; Elsie Dickerson; Frank Lee; Franklin Shiner; Fred Schroeder;
Garrick Scott; Gary Ray; Gary Wunder; Grace Pires; J.W. Smith; James Antonacci;
Jeannie Massay; Jennifer Dunnam; Joe Ruffalo; John Batron; John Fritz; Joy
Harris; Joyce Scanlan; Ken Rollman; Kim Williams; Kimberly Flores; Larry Posont;
Lynn Majewski; Mary Willows; Melissa Riccobono; Michael Barber; Michael Freeman;
Mika Pyyhkala; Nani Fife; Pam Allen; Parnell Diggs; Patti Chang; Rena Smith; Ron
Brown; Gardner, Ron; Sam Gleese; Scott LaBarre; Terry Sheeler<BR><B>Subject:</B>
U.S. Representatives Stearns and Bishop Introduce Fair Wages for Workers with
Disabilities Act<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT face=Helvetica><FONT
size=4>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p><FONT size=5
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT
face=Helvetica>CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>Chris
Danielsen<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>Director of Public
Relations<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>(410) 659-9314, extension
2330<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>(410) 262-1281
(Cell)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A
href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org"><FONT
face=Helvetica>cdanielsen@nfb.org</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=5
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></P>
<H1 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt"
align=center><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT size=4
face=Arial>U.S.</FONT></SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=4> Representatives Stearns
and Bishop Introduce <BR>Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities
Act<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></H1>
<H2 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><EM><FONT face=Arial>National Federation of the Blind
Commends Action<o:p></o:p></FONT></EM></SPAN></H2>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Helvetica><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Washington,
D.C. (October 4, 2011):</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> Congressman
Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Congressman Tim Bishop</SPAN></FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>(D-NY) today introduced the Fair
Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2011 (H.R. 3086).<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The bill would phase out Section 14(c)
of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which allows employers holding special
wage certificates to pay their workers with disabilities less than the federal
minimum wage.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the
National Federation of the Blind, said: “The Fair Wages for Workers with
Disabilities Act is a long-overdue effort to correct an injustice written into a
law meant to protect all American workers from abuse and exploitation. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Workers with disabilities were excluded
from the protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act because of the false belief
that we cannot be as productive as Americans without disabilities.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Courage and creativity are required to
replace the misguided benevolence that has historically shaped policies toward
people with disabilities with real opportunity for our equal employment and full
participation in the workplace. We applaud Representatives Stearns and
Bishop and we hope that a significant majority of their colleagues possess the
courage and creativity to end over seventy years of exploitation of people with
disabilities.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">“Simple fairness and decency require
that workers with disabilities receive equal pay for equal work,” said
Congressman Stearns. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“I am asking
all of my colleagues to join me in this historic effort to end wage
discrimination against workers with disabilities once and for all.”</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">“Ensuring that Americans with
disabilities receive equal pay for equal work is more than a matter of basic
fairness, it’s a long-overdue acknowledgement of the value disabled Americans
contribute to our workplaces every day,” said Congressman Tim Bishop. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“I hope all of my colleagues will support
this bipartisan effort to correct over seventy years of injustice.”</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">For more information about the Fair
Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act and the National Federation of the
Blind, please visit <A href="http://www.nfb.org/">www.nfb.org</A>. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"
class=MsoNormal><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><BR>About the National Federation of
the Blind<BR><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">With more than
50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most
influential membership organization of blind people in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The NFB improves blind people’s
lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs
encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in
the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January
2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the
first research and training center in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>
for the blind led by the blind. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
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