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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">
<DIV>Greetings to all!</DIV>
<DIV>Please review and share the following with others on your distribution
lists.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference<BR>Joe Ruffalo, President
<BR>National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey <BR>973 743
0075<BR>nfbnj1@verizon.net<BR><A
href="http://www.nfbnj.org">www.nfbnj.org</A></DIV>
<DIV>Your old car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.<BR>Donate your
unwanted vehicle to us by clicking <BR>www.carshelpingtheblind.org <BR>or call
855 659 9314<BR></DIV>
<DIV
style='FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline'>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt tahoma">
<DIV><FONT size=3 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=CDanielsen@nfb.org
href="mailto:CDanielsen@nfb.org">Danielsen, Chris</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Monday, September 26, 2016 8:06 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=NCBStaff@nfb.org href="mailto:NCBStaff@nfb.org">NCB
Staff</A> ; <A title=dandrewa@visi.com href="mailto:dandrewa@visi.com">Andrews,
Dave</A> ; <A title=StatePresidents@nfb.org
href="mailto:StatePresidents@nfb.org">State Presidents</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> National Federation of the Blind Comments on Foundation
Fighting Blindness #HowEyeSeeIt Campaign</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
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style='FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri"; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline'>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>Chris
Danielsen<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>Director of Public
Relations<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>National Federation
of the Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>(410) 659-9314,
extension 2330<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; 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: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"; COLOR: blue'>cdanielsen@nfb.org</SPAN></A><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-add-space: auto"
align=center><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>National Federation
of the Blind Comments on Foundation Fighting Blindness #HowEyeSeeIt
Campaign<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10pt; mso-add-space: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10pt; mso-add-space: auto"><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>Baltimore, Maryland
(September 26, 2016)</SPAN></B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>: The National
Federation of the Blind commented today on the #HowEyeSeeIt challenge
launched in the past month by the Foundation Fighting Blindness, which has
garnered considerable recent publicity. The NFB has also delivered <A
href="https://nfb.org/president-mark-riccobono-letter-regarding-howeyeseeit-campaign">a
letter</A> to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and NFB members are using the
#HowEyeSeeIt hash tag to counter the campaign via social
media.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10pt; mso-add-space: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10pt; mso-add-space: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>Mark A. Riccobono,
President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National
Federation of the Blind is deeply concerned that the #HowEyeSeeIt challenge, as
currently structured, will do lasting harm to the ability of millions of blind
Americans to live the lives we want. In encouraging people who are not blind to
don blindfolds and make videos of themselves attempting everyday tasks, this
campaign perpetuates the fears, misconceptions, and low expectations that
society has about blindness by giving those who take the challenge or view the
videos an inaccurate understanding of the lived experience of blind people. In
particular, suggesting that it is difficult or impossible for blind parents to
care for their children is false and irresponsible. As a blind father of three
children who also happens to be married to a blind person, I can say
unequivocally that, with nonvisual techniques, we can, and do, capably parent
thriving children every day. Yet children have been removed from the custody of
blind parents solely because of misconceptions about their ability to care for
them, without any actual proof of abuse or neglect, and the #HowEyeSeeIt
campaign threatens to worsen this already grave problem. This is only one
example of how this campaign will harm the chances of blind people, including
board members and supporters of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, to live
productive and happy lives. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10pt; mso-add-space: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10pt; mso-add-space: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>"To be clear, we
have no quarrel with the Foundation Fighting Blindness or the medical research
that it seeks to fund. However, we believe that this particular method of
gathering support will harm the very people whom the Foundation Fighting
Blindness and the National Federation of the Blind, in different but
complementary ways, seek to help. I and other members of the National Federation
of the Blind have told the Foundation Fighting Blindness that the perpetuation
of misconceptions about, and by extension discrimination against, the blind is
unacceptable, but so far we have been ignored. We therefore demand that the
Foundation Fighting Blindness stop filling its coffers by spreading
misconceptions and jeopardizing the dreams and aspirations of blind
people."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'>About the National
Federation of the Blind <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt; 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.</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12.5pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>