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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>NFBOK family members, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>The following is a critical message from President Riccobono. Please take the time to make a video of yourself doing the things that you do while living the life that you want. I plan on doing so today. If you need help making a video or with posting it to social media, let me know. We have lots of members ready to help!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Warmest regards, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Jeannie <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>Jeannie M. Massay, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>National Federation of theBlind <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>Of Oklahoma<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>505 Baker Street<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>Norman, OK 73072<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>Phone: 405-600-0695<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'><a href="mailto:Jeannie.massay@nfbok.org">Jeannie.massay@nfbok.org</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day, we raise expectations of the blind because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. Blindness is not what holds you back. You can live the life you want.!. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>“Whatever you dare to dream, begin.” – Goethe <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",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'>Dear Federation Affiliate Leaders: </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Some of you have brought to my attention the social media campaign using the hashtag #HowEyeSeeIt</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>. The people using this hashtag are making videos of themselves attempting to do everyday tasks under blindfold with the misguided view that this experience will help them know what it is like to be blind. The motivation for the campaign is to raise funding to eliminate blindness. We in the National Federation of the Blind know that blindness doesn’t hold us back. We also know that living with blindness requires learning the techniques blind people use to do everyday tasks without vision. We are not opposed to medical research, but the way to generate interest in medical research is not by further spreading the fear of blindness and strengthening misconceptions about the lived experience of blind people. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>The current videos being circulated with the #HowEyeSeeIt campaign are perpetuating the idea that blindness is something to be feared and that blind people adhere to low expectations. Some of the tasks people are encouraged to do in this campaign are having a friend give them an unidentified amount of cash and then, under blindfold, attempting to pay for a meal with this money. Another particularly outrageous example is people are asked to attempt to take care of your child for one minute while blindfolded. At a time when we have launched new efforts for blind parents who have their children take away because of misconceptions about blindness, this is dangerous and offensive. These examples and the dozens of others used in the campaign rely on the notion that vision is a requirement for success, but we know the truth—blindness does not define us or our future.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>It is critical that we now join together to combat this harmful campaign. I urge all Federation leaders to lead by example and to encourage the members of the Federation in your state to join with me in changing the perception that blindness is something to be feared and that significantly limits our lives. Now is the time to turn our fear into power and that power into action. We have the opportunity to demonstrate how we live the lives we want as blind people in a commanding way. All you have to do is:</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Make a video of yourself accomplishing an everyday task as a blind person. For example, show how you dance, sing, exercise, care for your children, go to school or work, play sports, manage your finances, travel, participate in social events, enjoy your hobbies—in short, take a video of yourself living the life you want.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>At the end of your video, say that you’re a proud member of the National Federation of the Blind, and tag three friends or family members to keep the trend going. You can also urge your audience to make a donation to the NFB.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>3.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Upload your video to social media using the hashtag #HowEyeSeeIt. Make sure to link to our website, </span><a href="http://www.nfb.org"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>www.nfb.org</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>, and tag the NFB in your Tweet, Facebook, or Instagram post. If the people you mentioned in your video are on social media, be sure to tag them too. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><br>Together, we can show the world that blindness is not what holds us back by demonstrating how we live the lives we want. We’ve published a blog, “</span><a href="https://nfb.org/blog/vonb-blog/challenging-fear-blindness"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Challenging the Fear of Blindness</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>,” that I encourage you to share. Please be sure to share with me other ideas you have about how we take this opportunity to demonstrate the truth about blindness. Send me an email with your ideas to </span><a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>officeofthepresident@nfb.org</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>. Please provide me with updates on how the effort is moving forward in your affiliate and how I can help.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Let us work together with love, hope, and determination to erase the fear of blindness and raise expectations.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Mark A. Riccobono, President</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Baltimore, Maryland 21230</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Phone: (410) 659-9314</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Fax: (410) 659-5129</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Email: </span><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><a href="mailto:officeofthepresident@nfb.org">officeofthepresident@nfb.org</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Twitter: @Riccobono and @NFB_Voice</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Web: <a href="http://www.nfb.org/" title="blocked::http://www.nfb.org/"><span style='color:purple'>www.nfb.org</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",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><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><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>