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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoTitle" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Blind Americans Encountering Discrimination by Restaurants and Other Services During COVID-19 Crisis<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoSubtitle" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Restaurants, Banks, and Others Denying Service to Blind Pedestrians<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;mso-add-space:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;mso-add-space:auto"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Baltimore, Maryland (April 3, 2020):</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> The
National Federation of the Blind, America’s civil rights organization of the blind, today demanded that restaurants, banks, and other businesses, as well as drive-through COVID-19 testing facilities, provide equal service to blind customers, as required by
the Americans with Disabilities Act, whether the blind customer is on foot or in a vehicle. Many businesses are offering drive-through service only during the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Federation of the Blind has received numerous reports of discrimination
against blind people who have tried to access drive-through windows on foot, and at least
</span><a href="https://www.news8000.com/people-with-disabilities-face-new-challenges-under-coronavirus-orders/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">one local television station</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
has reported on the problem.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;mso-add-space:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;mso-add-space:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“We reject the argument that accessing a drive-through window on foot is unsafe for blind people, since we regularly
cross busy intersections and interact with vehicles,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “But even if a restaurant, bank, or testing center is unable or unwilling to offer pedestrian access to its drive-through window,
the law clearly requires that it offer reasonable modifications to allow the blind and others with disabilities to take advantage of its public services. The bottom line is that, especially at a time when access to vehicle transportation for non-drivers is
limited, there is no legal or moral excuse for denying service to blind people simply because we are not in a car. To do so is unlawful and discriminatory, and we will not tolerate it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">###</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">About the National Federation of the Blind
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB consists
of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision,
and more. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at
</span><a href="http://www.nfb.org"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">www.nfb.org</span></a><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"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Chris Danielsen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Director of Public Relations<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">(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">cdanielsen@nfb.org</span></a><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"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">this news brief is also available at:
</span><a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/blind-americans-encountering-discrimination-restaurants-and-other-services">https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/blind-americans-encountering-discrimination-restaurants-and-other-services</a><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"><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"><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"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;mso-add-space:auto"><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"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Christopher S. Danielsen, J.D.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Director of Public Relations<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(410) 659-9314, Ext. 2330 | cdanielsen@nfb.org<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Twitter: @rlawyer <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://nfb.org/"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="262" height="95" id="_x0000_i1028" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/nfblogo.png" alt="National Federation of the Blind"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind">
<span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="30" height="30" id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/facebook.png" alt="Facebook"></span></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="30" height="30" id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/twitter.png" alt="Twitter"></span></a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="30" height="30" id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/youtube.png" alt="Youtube"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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