<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Read below press release urging senate to ratify convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.</div><div>Cathy<br><br>Sent from my iPhone</div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> "Freeh, Jessica" <<a href="mailto:JFreeh@nfb.org">JFreeh@nfb.org</a>><br><b>Date:</b> July 22, 2014, 3:41:47 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> "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:president@nfb-oregon.org">president@nfb-oregon.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, 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:peduffy63@gmail.com">peduffy63@gmail.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, Montana" <<a href="mailto:jkaldrich@samobile.net">jkaldrich@samobile.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:president88@nfbdelaware.org">president88@nfbdelaware.org</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>>, Pam Allen <<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:pattischang@gmail.com">pattischang@gmail.com</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, Kansas" <<a href="mailto:topage@swbell.net">topage@swbell.net</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>National Federation of the Blind Urges Senate to Ratify Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</b><br><br></div></blockquote><div><span></span></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background:white"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">CONTACT:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><br>
Chris Danielsen<br>
Director of Public Relations<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br>
</span><a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">cdanielsen@nfb.org</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">National Federation of the Blind Urges Senate<br>
to Ratify Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Baltimore, Maryland (July 22, 2014):</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">
</span><a href="http://www.nfb.org"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The National Federation of the Blind</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">, the nation’s oldest and largest organization
of blind people, today urged the United States Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations voted today for a resolution of advice and consent supporting ratification of
the treaty, which was signed by President Barack Obama in 2009.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will not only
advance the cause of disability rights throughout the world, but will also benefit American citizens who work, study, or travel abroad. All people with disabilities, in every country, deserve equal rights and an equal opportunity to contribute to society.
We join our partners in the disability rights movement in urging the U.S. Senate to ratify this convention immediately so that the dignity and rights of all disabled people are recognized and protected.”
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is supported by numerous veterans’ organizations, the United States Chamber of Commerce,
the United States Business Roundtable, and hundreds of disability organizations.
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">###</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="background:white"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">About the National Federation of the Blind</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people,
because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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