<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:st1 =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD><TITLE
id=ridTitle>Blank</TITLE>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<STYLE>BODY {
MARGIN-TOP: 25px; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 25px; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica
}
P.msoNormal {
MARGIN-TOP: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; COLOR: #ffffcc; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica, "Times New Roman"
}
LI.msoNormal {
MARGIN-TOP: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; COLOR: #ffffcc; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica, "Times New Roman"
}
</STYLE>
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6001.18203" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=ridBody background="Blank Bkgrd.gif">
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=303280612-28032009>Friends,</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=303280612-28032009></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=303280612-28032009>As you will see below, we
need to call our members of the House of Representatives on Monday and urge them
to sign onto a Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Congressman <FONT
size=3>Yarmuth of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:State></st1:place></FONT>. The letter calls for <FONT
size=3>funding a Commission that will study ways to provide accessible textbooks
to Blind students in higher education</FONT>. Below is a note from <FONT
face=Tahoma>Jesse Hartle giving more detailed
information. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=303280612-28032009></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=303280612-28032009>Please call
Monday.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=303280612-28032009></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=303280612-28032009>Fred Schroeder,
President</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=303280612-28032009>National Federation of
the Blind of Virginia</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=303280612-28032009></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=303280612-28032009></SPAN> </DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma><B>From:</B> Hartle, Jesse [mailto:JHartle@nfb.org]
<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, March 27, 2009 4:24 PM<BR><B>Subject:</B> Legislative
Alert-Immediate Action Needed to Support The Higher Education Textbook
Commission<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Fellow
Federationists:<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>It has come to my
attention that Congressman Yarmuth of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:State></st1:place> has circulated a Dear Colleague
letter in support of funding the Commission that will study ways to provide
accessible textbooks to Blind students in higher education.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This Commission was created in the
Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and passed by Congress last
year.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>It is urgent that we
contact members of the House of Representatives and ask them to sign on to
Congressman Yarmuth’s Dear Colleague letter.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If funding is not provided in the
Appropriations process, no work will be done to correct the problems that Blind
students face in obtaining accessible textbooks.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>We worked very hard
to get the language in the Higher Education legislation to solve this problem,
and now we need to do our best to ensure funding is provided.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman Yarmuth
is holding the letter open for cosigners through Wednesday, April 1.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Currently, only 6 members of the House
have signed on to the letter and I have listed them below.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>If your
Representative wants to be added to this letter he or she should contact Lillian
Pace in Congressman Yarmuth’s office.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>You can be connected to your Representatives office by calling the
Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Please contact me
with any questions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I thank all of
you for your hard work on this important
issue.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT
color=#000000>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Jesse M.
Hartle<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Government Programs
Specialist<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>NATIONAL FEDERATION
OF THE BLIND<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>(410) 659-9314,
extension 2233<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT color=#000000><FONT size=3>E-mail:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT><A
href="mailto:jhartle@nfb.org"><FONT
size=3>jhartle@nfb.org</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><U><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Cosigners of Dear
Colleague Letter<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></U></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman
Yarmuth<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman
McDermott <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman Conyers
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman Hinojosa
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman Bobby
Scott <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><FONT color=#000000>Congressman
Petri<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT color=#000000
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<P> </P></BODY></HTML>