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<b>Subject:</b> Response to Focus Group Request from NIB for NFB
Convention<br><br>
<br><br>
Dear Federation Leaders:<br><br>
<br><br>
Yesterday, an announcement was circulated to NFB lists from Tiffany
Jolliff, research coordinator at National Industries for the Blind (NIB).
This announcement notes that “NIB is focused on its mission to create and
sustain employment opportunities for people who are blind or visually
impaired,” and that the researcher is “interested in conducting focus
groups with people between the ages of 45 and 64 who are blind” at our
national convention. It is important to note that the circulation of this
request for participation in our convention is not an endorsement of this
activity. <br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
Federation leaders should remember that NIB still allows their associated
agencies to pay subminimum wages to their blind employees. This is
in direct conflict with the policy set by our convention that calls for
the elimination of 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Federation
has declined recent offers from NIB to be a sponsor of the national
convention and we have said that we will not reconsider any offers of
sponsorship until NIB changes its own policy on 14 (c). <br><br>
<br><br>
Our advocacy efforts to improve the wages being paid to those employed
under NIB contracts has resulted in significant improvement for most, but
not all. We have no interest in doing anything to “create and
sustain opportunities” that advance subminimum wage employment. To that
end, I encourage all Federationists to keep this in mind when considering
the message that has unfortunately circulated throughout our
listservs.<br><br>
<br><br>
Sincerely,<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
Mark A. Riccobono, M.S.ed<br><br>
Executive Director, Jernigan Institute<br><br>
National Federation of the Blind<br><br>
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place<br><br>
Baltimore, Maryland 21230<br><br>
Phone: (410) 659-9314 ext. 2357<br><br>
Fax: (410) 659-5129<br><br>
Email:
<a href="mailto:mriccobono@nfb.org">mriccobono@nfb.org</a><br><br>
Twitter: @Riccobono and @NFB_Voice<br><br>
Web: <a href="http://www.nfb.org/">www.nfb.org</a><br><br>
<br><br>
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.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
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