<div>Below you will find an interesting Press Release.</div>
<div>Cathy<br><br></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Freeh, Jessica</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:JFreeh@nfb.org">JFreeh@nfb.org</a>></span><br>Date: Mon, Jun 24, 2013 at 10:09 AM<br>
Subject: National Federation of the Blind Joins Stevie Wonder and World Blind Union in Calling Upon International Negotiators to Conclude a Successful Treaty for the Blind and Print Disabled<br>To: "State President, Puerto Rico" <<a href="mailto:arguza@attglobal.net">arguza@attglobal.net</a>>, "State President, Nebraska" <<a href="mailto:amy.buresh74@gmail.com">amy.buresh74@gmail.com</a>>, "State President, Connecticut" <<a href="mailto:erival@comcast.net">erival@comcast.net</a>>, "State President, Arizona" <<a href="mailto:krezguy@cox.net">krezguy@cox.net</a>>, "State President, New York" <<a href="mailto:office@nfbny.org">office@nfbny.org</a>>, "State President, Oregon" <<a href="mailto:admin@mainstreetmontessori.org">admin@mainstreetmontessori.org</a>>, "State President, Kentucky" <<a href="mailto:cathyj1949@gmail.com">cathyj1949@gmail.com</a>>, Charlene Smyth <<a href="mailto:cs.nfbwv@verizon.net">cs.nfbwv@verizon.net</a>>, "State President, Vermont" <<a href="mailto:deannaljones@comcast.net">deannaljones@comcast.net</a>>, "State President, Kansas" <<a href="mailto:donnajwood@cox.net">donnajwood@cox.net</a>>, "State President, North Dakota" <<a href="mailto:diverson@midco.net">diverson@midco.net</a>>, "State President, Idaho" <<a href="mailto:elsiedickerson@ymail.com">elsiedickerson@ymail.com</a>>, "State President, Ohio" <<a href="mailto:eduffy@pobox.com">eduffy@pobox.com</a>>, "Schroeder, Fred" <<a href="mailto:fschroeder@sks.com">fschroeder@sks.com</a>>, "State President, North Carolina" <<a href="mailto:ghraynfbofnc@charter.net">ghraynfbofnc@charter.net</a>>, "State President, Missouri" <<a href="mailto:gwunder@earthlink.net">gwunder@earthlink.net</a>>, "State President, Pennsylvania" <<a href="mailto:president@nfbp.org">president@nfbp.org</a>>, "State President, Tennessee" <<a href="mailto:nfb.tennessee@gmail.com">nfb.tennessee@gmail.com</a>>, "State President, Minnesota" <<a href="mailto:jennifer.dunnam1829@gmail.com">jennifer.dunnam1829@gmail.com</a>>, "State President, Alaska" <<a href="mailto:jnhburton@gci.net">jnhburton@gci.net</a>>, Joe Ruffalo <<a href="mailto:nfbnj@yahoo.com">nfbnj@yahoo.com</a>>, "State President, Wisconsin" <<a href="mailto:johnfritz66@gmail.com">johnfritz66@gmail.com</a>>, "State President, Wyoming" <<a href="mailto:kthornbury@bresnan.net">kthornbury@bresnan.net</a>>, "State President, South Dakota" <<a href="mailto:gatorbumps@rushmore.com">gatorbumps@rushmore.com</a>>, Kimberly Flores <<a href="mailto:kimberly.aguillard@gmail.com">kimberly.aguillard@gmail.com</a>>, "State President, Massachusetts" <<a href="mailto:kshachmut@nfbma.org">kshachmut@nfbma.org</a>>, "State President, Maine" <<a href="mailto:leonproctorjr@yahoo.com">leonproctorjr@yahoo.com</a>>, "State President, Delaware" <<a href="mailto:lynne.majewski@gmail.com">lynne.majewski@gmail.com</a>>, "State President, California" <<a href="mailto:mwillows@sbcglobal.net">mwillows@sbcglobal.net</a>>, "State President, Maryland" <<a href="mailto:melissa@riccobono.us">melissa@riccobono.us</a>>, "State President, Iowa" <<a href="mailto:michael.nfbi@gmail.com">michael.nfbi@gmail.com</a>>, "State President, Washington" <<a href="mailto:k7uij@panix.com">k7uij@panix.com</a>>, "State President, Hawaii" <<a href="mailto:nanifife@aol.com">nanifife@aol.com</a>>, "State President, Louisiana" <<a href="mailto:pallen@lcb-ruston.com">pallen@lcb-ruston.com</a>>, "State President, South Carolina" <<a href="mailto:parnell@sccoast.net">parnell@sccoast.net</a>>, "State President, Illinois" <<a href="mailto:pattichang@att.net">pattichang@att.net</a>>, "Brown, Ron" <<a href="mailto:RB15@iquest.net">RB15@iquest.net</a>>, "State President, Mississippi" <<a href="mailto:sgleese@city.jackson.ms.us">sgleese@city.jackson.ms.us</a>>, "State President, Colorado" <<a href="mailto:slabarre@labarrelaw.com">slabarre@labarrelaw.com</a>>, "State President, Alabama" <<a href="mailto:joy.harris@dwx.com">joy.harris@dwx.com</a>>, "State President, Arkansas" <<a href="mailto:tosheeler@cox.net">tosheeler@cox.net</a>>, "State President, District of Columbia" <<a href="mailto:callaway.shawn@gmail.com">callaway.shawn@gmail.com</a>>, "State President, Florida" <<a href="mailto:danjhicks@yahoo.com">danjhicks@yahoo.com</a>>, "State President, Georgia" <<a href="mailto:gscott@nfbga.org">gscott@nfbga.org</a>>, "State President, Michigan" <<a href="mailto:president.nfb.mi@gmail.com">president.nfb.mi@gmail.com</a>>, "State President, Nevada" <<a href="mailto:realhappygirl1@gmail.com">realhappygirl1@gmail.com</a>>, "State President, New Hampshire" <<a href="mailto:cemcnabb21@yahoo.com">cemcnabb21@yahoo.com</a>>, "State President, New Mexico" <<a href="mailto:avigil74@gmail.com">avigil74@gmail.com</a>>, "State President, Oklahoma" <<a href="mailto:jmassay1@cox.net">jmassay1@cox.net</a>>, "State President, Rhode Island" <<a href="mailto:silvara@cox.net">silvara@cox.net</a>>, "State President, Utah" <<a href="mailto:baconev@yahoo.com">baconev@yahoo.com</a>>, "State President, Montana" <<a href="mailto:chiefblindtech@gmail.com">chiefblindtech@gmail.com</a>><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<u></u><u></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u></u> <u></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">CONTACT:<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">Chris Danielsen<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">Director of Public Relations<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">National Federation of the Blind<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><a href="tel:%28410%29%20659-9314%2C%20extension%202330" target="_blank" value="+14106599314">(410) 659-9314, extension 2330</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><a href="tel:%28410%29%20262-1281" target="_blank" value="+14102621281">(410) 262-1281</a> (Cell)<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org" target="_blank">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">Fredric Schroeder<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">First Vice President<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">National Federation of the Blind<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">First Vice President<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">World Blind Union<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><a href="tel:%28703%29%20319-9226" target="_blank" value="+17033199226">(703) 319-9226</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><a href="mailto:fschroeder@sks.com" target="_blank">fschroeder@sks.com</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b>National Federation of the Blind Joins Stevie Wonder and <br>World Blind Union in Calling Upon International Negotiators to Conclude a Successful Treaty for the Blind and Print Disabled<u></u><u></u></b></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><u></u> <u></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">Baltimore, Maryland (June 24, 2013):</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"> <a href="http://www.nfb.org/" target="_blank">The National Federation of the Blind</a> (NFB) today joined Stevie Wonder and the World Blind Union in calling upon international negotiators to conclude a successful treaty for the blind and print disabled at a diplomatic conference taking place right now in Marrakesh, Morocco. Negotiators have only until Friday to solve the book famine for the blind. In most parts of the world, the blind only have access to about 1 percent of published works in accessible formats like Braille, audio recordings, and accessible electronic text. In the United States, the situation is only slightly better with less than 5 percent of published works available to the blind.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">The treaty proposal would accomplish two major objectives: creating exceptions and limitations to copyright law that would permit the blind to reproduce books into accessible formats, and establishing a system where accessible formats of works could be shared across international borders.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">Even though this treaty proposal was officially introduced in 2009 before the World Intellectual Property Organization and has been vigorously debated since then, the negotiators have still not agreed to language on key portions of the text. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">“The negotiators must quickly come to a consensus and stop blocking access to books for the blind,” said Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">“There is a significant risk that this diplomatic conference could end without a treaty and that would be a travesty,” said Dr. Fredric Schroeder, who serves as first vice president of the NFB and also first vice president of the World Blind Union.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">Today, WBU held <a href="http://t.co/5vR7IxMmGx" target="_blank">a press conference</a> in front of the Palais de Congres in Marrakesh where the treaty negotiations are occurring. At that conference, Schroeder joined other blind leaders from around the world and called upon the negotiators to keep the text simple and effective so that blind individuals and those serving them can use the treaty on the ground. The proposed treaty text still contains major portions that have not gained consensus or are so convoluted and complicated that they would not help to get more books into the hands of blind persons worldwide. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt">The WBU held its event behind a large pile of books locked up by chains and a padlock. The NFB joins the WBU in demanding that the negotiators unlock the chains and free up the flow of information to the blind. This WBU event follows <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Dp2s3CidI" target="_blank">Stevie Wonder’s message posted last week</a> to the negotiators urging them to conclude negotiations successfully. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif';FONT-SIZE:12pt">About the National Federation of the Blind<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif'">The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest, largest, and most influential nationwide membership organization of blind people in the United States. Founded in 1940, the NFB advocates for the civil rights and equality of blind Americans, and develops innovative education, technology, and training programs to provide the blind and those who are losing vision with the tools they need to become independent and successful. We need your support. To make a donation, please go to </span></span><a href="http://www.nfb.org/" target="_blank"><span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif';COLOR:windowtext;TEXT-DECORATION:none">www.nfb.org</span></span></a><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif'">.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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