<html><head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head><body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">Greetings fellow Federationists!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I hope and trust that you all had a wonderful holiday season.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">President Riccobono has asked us to prioritize a number of important initiatives in 2018. I am writing today to share with you that the National Federation of the Blind is jump starting its work aimed at addressing the critical issue of
accessibility and medical technology and devices. Although this will be coordinated from the NFB Jernigan Institute, it will require the participation and collaboration of Federationists around the country.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As far too many of you know all too well, the lack of accessibility when it comes to vital medical equipment can be inconvenient at best but dangerous and risky in many cases. We are therefore creating the Accessible Medical Technology
Working Group (AMT-WG), which will be tasked with investigating concerns, devising strategies and making recommendations to President Riccobono.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We will need your help as we get started. In order to focus our work and direct our energies appropriately, we are requesting feedback from you that will let us know what issues are being encountered as a result of inaccessible medical
technologies and devices. You do not need to share any personal or private information; we are only looking for the names of devices and technologies that pose accessibility challenges, that way we can channel our attention to where it is needed most. Please
be sure to be specific about what aspects of the device make them less accessible. We would also appreciate you letting us know about any medical technology or devices that are accessible so we can refer to those as positive examples of how accessibility can
be done right in this space. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you have any feedback to share or ideas as to what types of medical technologies and devices need to be a part of this initiative, please send your responses to Eric Duffy at
<a href="mailto:eduffy@nfb.org">eduffy@nfb.org</a> and Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette at <a href="mailto:dhedtler-gaudette@nfb.org">
dhedtler-gaudette@nfb.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you all for your help as we get this project started. Your contributions will be invaluable and we look forward to making progress together in the area of accessible medical technology in 2018!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eric Duffy, Director of Access Technology<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Government Affairs Specialist <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body></html>