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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hello all,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The national office has called on each of us to contact our House of Representative Congresspeople today! It appears as if the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act is to be introduced at the beginning of next week, and we need to gather original co-sponsors, especially those that help exemplify bipartisan support for the bill.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please reach out to your Representative’s office as soon as possible, urging them to become an original co-sponsor. You could say something like the below message:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hello, (name),<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My name is (your name), and I am a constituent in Representative (Name)’s district.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>As a blind South Carolinian, I am contacting you today to urge Representative (Name) to become an original co-sponsor of the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act, which is likely to be introduced in the coming days.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Home-use medical devices are becoming more prevalent but less accessible for blind Americans. Most newer models of home-use medical devices, such as glucose and blood pressure monitors, along with the emergence of in-home devices that offer medical care options, such as chemotherapy treatments and dialysis, require that consumers interact with a user interface. There are over 7 million Americans who are living with uncorrectable vision loss, including more than 1 million Americans who are living with blindness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>The <b>Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act</b> will establish nonvisual accessibility standards for certain home-use medical devices with user interfaces so that individuals who are blind or who have low-vision can enjoy the same services with the same privacy, independence, and ease of use as individuals without vision impairments.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><o:p> </o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Adding nonvisual access to home-use medical devices would allow individuals who are blind or have low-vision to better meet their essential daily healthcare needs with independence and ease. Nonvisual access can be accomplished through means such as screen access technology, audible tones, tactile markings, and text-to-speech applications. Further, adding accessibility components to devices is not expensive and is already done in some items. For example, all Apple items have VoiceOver – a text-to-speech function. Frequently, a simple audio output or vibrotactile feature can make a product fully accessible at little to no additional cost for manufacturers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><o:p> </o:p></p><p>This piece of legislation will positively impact the lives of so many, including myself, and I know that promoting the independence and safety of blind South Carolinians is of the utmost importance to Representative (Name).<o:p></o:p></p><p><o:p> </o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>If Representative (Name) would like to cosponsor the <i>Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act of 2023 </i>or if you or the Representative have any questions, please contact Gidget Benitez in the office of Representative </span>Jan Schakowsky <span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>at </span><span style='color:black'><a href="mailto:gidget.benitez@mail.house.gov"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>gidget.benitez@mail.house.gov</span></a>.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you for helping the blind of South Carolina to live the lives we want.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Respectfully,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(Your Name)<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>