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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Hello, Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The senators on the Committee on Armed Services heard us loud and clear last week; however, the staff who actually writes the legislation had some technical issues with S.
2596. They think that we need to get the Department of Defense to fix their mistake of excluding service-connected disabled veterans injured prior to September 23, 1996, from the Space Available Program. Fortunately, we will be offering an amendment on the
floor of the Senate to include S. 2596 in the National Defense Authorization Act. Once we do, we will let you all know the amendment number so you can call your senator and tell them to end disparate treatment of disabled veterans by supporting the amendment.
In the meantime, I want to thank each of you for your hard work last week and letting the Senate know we care about this issue, and I encourage you to keep getting cosponsors for H.R. 2264 and S. 2596.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Derek Manners<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Advocacy and Policy Analyst<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">200 East Wells Street<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">At Jernigan Place<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Baltimore, MD 21230<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">E:
</span><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="mailto:DManners@NFB.org"><span style="color:windowtext">DManners@NFB.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">P: 410-659-9314 Ext. 2210<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">To make a donation to the National Federation of the Blind Imagination Fund campaign, please visit
<a href="http://www.nfb.org/ImaginingOurFuture"><span style="color:windowtext">ww w.nfb.org/ImaginingOurFuture</span></a><span style="color:#1F497D">.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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