<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hello Everyone:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Please as soon as possible contact senators Merkley and Wyden and ask them to please ratify the Marrakesh treaty. The contact<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>information for senators Merkley and Wyden is below followed by the announcement from our national office. Thank you.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regards,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Robert<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Robert Jaquiss<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Affiliate Secretary<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Oregon<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Email: <a href="mailto:rjaquiss@earthlink.net">rjaquiss@earthlink.net</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>____ Senators contact information. ____<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jeff Merkley <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>313 Hart Senate Office Building<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Washington, DC 20510 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Phone: (202) 224-3753 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Contact website: <a href="http://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/">http://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ron Wyden<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>221 Dirksen Senate Office Building<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Washington, DC 20510 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Phone: (202) 224-5244 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Contact website: <a href="http://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/">http://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>____ Message from our National office. ____<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From: "Kuhnke, Kristian via Nfbnet-members-list" <nfbnet-members-<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>list@nfbnet.org> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Date: February 10, 2016 at 6:33:22 PM PST <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To: nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Applauds <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Transmission of Marrakesh Treaty for Ratification <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Reply-To: "Kuhnke, Kristian" <KKuhnke@nfb.org><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>CONTACT: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Chris Danielsen <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Director of Public Relations <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(410) 262-1281 (Cell) <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>cdanielsen@nfb.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Applauds Transmission of Marrakesh <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Treaty for Ratification<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Urges Senate to Ratify Treaty to End Book Famine <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Immediately<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Baltimore, Maryland (February 10, 2016): The National Federation of the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Blind today applauded President Obama's transmission of the Marrakesh Treaty <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled to the United States Senate for ratification, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and urged the Senate to act immediately to ratify the treaty. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "This <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>crucial treaty will substantially ease the book famine that currently limits <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>education and opportunity for the blind of this nation and the world. When it is <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>fully in effect, it will give blind Americans the ability to access books in Braille, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>audio, and other alternative formats from across the globe, as well as provide <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>more books to the blind of all nations. We strongly urge the United States Senate <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to ratify it without delay." <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Marrakesh Treaty was officially proposed in 2009, successfully adopted in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>June 2013 by the World Intellectual Property Organization, and signed by the <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>United States in October 2013. For more information on the treaty, please visit <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://nfb.org/marrakeshfactsheet">https://nfb.org/marrakeshfactsheet</a>. <o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>