<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Posted on behalf of Carla McQuillan<div class=""><br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">From: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Oregon State President <<a href="mailto:president@nfb-oregon.org" class="">president@nfb-oregon.org</a>><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">We Need Your Help!</b><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Date: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">September 28, 2016 at 1:15:05 PM PDT<br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">To: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Kirk Wagner <<a href="mailto:kwagner8197@gmail.com" class="">kwagner8197@gmail.com</a>><br class=""></span></div><br class=""><div class=""><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">Kirk,</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">Could you please put this our on the announce list?</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">Thanks.<br class=""><br class=""><font size="3" class="">Attention: Members of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon, Our Families, and Friends,</font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""> Below is a Press Release describing a fund raising campaign launched by the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Please read the details, and help us in a Nation wide effort to counter the damaging messages that are being put forth in this campaign. You may support us by doing the following:</font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class="">1). Do not make donations to the Foundation during this Campaign.</font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class="">2) Encourage your family, friends, and colleagues to do the same. Please make use of social media to get this message across.</font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class="">3). Educate others by create your own videos of yourself or other blind individuals performing every day tasks as a blind person. These should be sent to our National Organization for media purposes.</font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class="">Your efforts on this matter will make a difference in the lives of blind people.</font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class="">Carla McQuillan</font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class="">President, NFB of Oregon</font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""><a href="mailto:President@nfb-oregon.org" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class="">President@nfb-Oregon.org</a></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1;"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">CONTACT:<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Chris Danielsen<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Director of Public Relations<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">National Federation of the Blind<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: blue;" class="">cdanielsen@nfb.org</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></span></div><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: center;"><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">National Federation of the Blind Comments on Foundation Fighting Blindness #HowEyeSeeIt Campaign<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;"><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Baltimore, Maryland (September 26, 2016)</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">: 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<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://nfb.org/president-mark-riccobono-letter-regarding-howeyeseeit-campaign" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class="">a letter</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and NFB members are using the #HowEyeSeeIt hash tag to counter the campaign via social media.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">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.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">"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 class=""></o:p></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">###<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">About the National Federation of the Blind<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">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></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></body></html>