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<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br><br>
CONTACT:<br><br>
</b>Chris Danielsen<br><br>
Director of Public Relations<br><br>
National Federation of the Blind<br><br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br><br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br><br>
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><br><br>
<div align="center"><h1><b>National Federation of the Blind Applauds
Introduction of Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment
Act</b></h1>Urges Swift Passage of Legislation to Create Opportunity for
Workers with Disabilities<br><br>
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<b>Baltimore, Maryland (March 8, 2017): </b>The National Federation of
the Blind, the oldest and largest organization of blind Americans, today
applauded the introduction of the Transitioning to Integrated and
Meaningful Employment (TIME) Act of 2017 (H.R. 1377) by Representative
Gregg Harper (R-MS). Congressman Harper introduced this legislation to
remove barriers to employment opportunities for people with disabilities
by phasing out Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and
facilitating the transitioning of people with disabilities now working in
segregated employment settings into competitive employment opportunities
in their communities.<br><br>
Congressman Gregg Harper said: “Section 14(c) of the FLSA, enacted out of
a false understanding regarding the true capacity of people with
disabilities, currently prevents nearly two-hundred thousand people with
disabilities from gaining access to the work and training environments
that build their capacity and allow them to acquire meaningful skills and
better employment opportunities. Segregated work, which too often focuses
on mundane tasks that are not transferrable to today's workplaces, is
just an expression of low expectations that instills a false sense of
incapacity in individuals who could become competitively employed with
the proper training and support. I look forward to working with my
colleagues to advance the bipartisan goal of increasing and improving
employment opportunities for all Americans with disabilities.”<br><br>
Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: “The National Federation of the Blind and our partners representing
the 55 million Americans with disabilities seek only the kind of
meaningful, remunerative work that other Americans take for granted. We
applaud Congressman Harper for rejecting over seventy years of entrenched
but false thinking about the capacity of people with disabilities. We
strongly urge his colleagues in both houses of the United States Congress
to transition from an ineffective employment model to a policy that
recognizes the individuality, interests, and skills of workers with
disabilities and allows them to live the lives they want. I, like
Congressmen Harper, want my own children to be free of the shackles of
low expectations and to lead an employment revolution that empowers
people with disabilities in the twenty-first century.” <br><br>
<div align="center"><b>###<br><br>
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<i>About the National Federation of the Blind<br><br>
</i></b>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>
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<b>National Federation of the Blind | 200 E Wells Street | Baltimore, MD
21230 | (410) 659-9314</b><br>
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