<html>
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
h2
{margin-right:0in;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:18.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:#606420;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{margin-right:0in;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle17
{font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
/* List Definitions */
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink="#606420">
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Hi Everyone, </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I found the following notice on the SSA website. </span></font></p>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%"
style='width:100.0%'>
<tr>
<td style='padding:3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><b><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>Important Information</span></font></b></strong></p>
</td>
<td style='padding:3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style='padding:3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</td>
<td style='padding:3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>Social Security Administration<br>
Wilkes Barre Data<br>
Operations Center<br>
P.O. Box 67600<br>
Wilkes Barre, PA<br>
18767-7600<br>
<br>
Date: December 31, 2009</span></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan=2 style='padding:3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt'>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We are
writing to you because our records show that you are blind or visually
impaired and you are covered by a recent court decision. The court case, <u>American
Council of the Blind v. Astrue</u>, recognizes that you have the right under
federal law (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) to ask for notices and
other information about your benefits from us in a format in addition to
print. <br>
<br>
This notice tells you how you can ask for your preferred format. The
information in this notice is also on our website at <a
href="http://www.ssa.gov/notices/">www.socialsecurity.gov/notices</a>. You
can also listen to a recording of this notice by calling toll-free at
1-877-708-1776. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our TTY
number at 1-800-325-0778. If you already have chosen to get your notices by
means of a telephone call, we will call you to read this notice to you by
February 1, 2010.</span></font></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Formats We Automatically Provide Upon Request</span></font></b></strong>
</p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>By law,
we must always consider your request for your preferred format. We
automatically grant requests for the formats listed below: </span></font></p>
<ol start=1 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>Standard print notice by first class or
certified mail; or </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>Standard print notice by first class mail and a
follow-up telephone call to read the notices to you within five business
days of the date you get the print notice; or </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>Standard print notice and Braille by first
class mail (delivery begins April 15, 2010); or </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>Standard print notice and a Microsoft Word
compact disc by first class mail (delivery begins April 15, 2010). The
compact disc may be used on a computer that has the software needed to
access Word, but not in an audio CD player. </span></font></li>
</ol>
<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>To select one of the formats we automatically provide, please contact
us through one of the following ways</span></font></b></strong> </p>
<ul type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>Visit our website at <a
href="http://www.ssa.gov/notices/">www.socialsecurity.gov/notices</a>
and follow the steps provided; </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>Call us toll-free at 1-877-708-1776. If you are
deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our TTY number at 1-800-325-0778;
or </span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>Write or visit your local Social Security
office. </span></font></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Other Preferred Formats</span></font></b></strong></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>If the
formats listed above do not work for you, you may ask for another format. To
ask for another format, please call 1-800-772-1213 so that we can begin
processing your request. We will consider your request and decide if we can
provide it according to court approved guidelines. If we decide against your
request, we will send you the reasons in writing and the method of appealing
the decision.</span></font></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Your Privacy</span></font></b></strong></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We
collect personal information (such as your name, e-mail address, Social Security
number, or date of birth) only as necessary to administer our programs. When
you request a preferred notice format, we will ask you for personal
information to verify who you are and to ensure that we correctly process
your request. We will use the information you provide only for those purposes
or as otherwise permitted by law. We do not ask you to send us personal
information by e-mail to request a preferred notice format. We do not ask you
for credit card information to request a preferred notice format. </span></font></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>What You Need to Do</span></font></b></strong></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>If you
are satisfied with the way you currently get your notices and other
information about your benefits from us, you do <u>not</u> need to do
anything. If you would like an alternative to your current format for
receiving notices, please follow the procedures described above.</span></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style='padding:3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt'>
<h2><b><font size=5 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:18.0pt'>More
Information</span></font></b></h2>
</td>
<td style='padding:3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt 3.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>If you are blind or
visually impaired, learn about <a href="http://www.ssa.gov/notices/">your
choices for receiving information from Social Security</a>. </span></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><!-- InstanceEndEditable -->Yasmin
Reyazuddin </span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Information
& Referral unit</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Department
of Health & human services </span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>401
Hungerford Drive (1st floor) </span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Rockville
MD 20850 </span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Phone
240-777-1245 (info line) </span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>240-777-1556
(personal line) </span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Fax:
240-777-4636</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>TTY:
240-777-1295 </span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Office
hours 8:30 am to 5:00 pm </span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Languages
English, Hindi, Urdu </span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>This
message may contain protected health information or other information that is
confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please
contact the sender by return mail and destroy any copies of this material. </span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Thank
you.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>