<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 15 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Please find below and attached our 2020 Richmond Seminar materials.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:2.0in;text-indent:.5in'><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
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</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_s1027" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;left:0;text-align:left;margin-left:-.05pt;margin-top:-48.3pt;width:194.65pt;height:82.5pt;z-index:251657216;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page'>
<v:imagedata src="cid:image001.jpg@01D5CCBF.2E818E40" o:title="" />
</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><span style='mso-ignore:vglayout;position:relative;z-index:251657216'><span style='left:0px;position:absolute;left:15px;top:-70px;width:389px;height:165px'><img width=259 height=110 style='width:2.7013in;height:1.1458in' src="cid:image003.jpg@01D5CCBF.65BD6AF0" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2"></span></span><![endif]><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Tracy Soforenko, President
1511 North Jackson Street
Arlington, VA 22201
202-285-4595
president@nfbv.org
" style='position:absolute;left:0;text-align:left;margin-left:300.85pt;margin-top:-35.25pt;width:202pt;height:79.15pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:margin;mso-height-relative:margin'>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><span style='mso-ignore:vglayout;position:relative;z-index:251658240'><span style='left:0px;position:absolute;left:617px;top:-44px;width:404px;height:158px'><img width=269 height=105 style='width:2.8055in;height:1.0972in' src="cid:image005.png@01D5CCBF.65BD6AF0" alt="Tracy Soforenko, President
1511 North Jackson Street
Arlington, VA 22201
202-285-4595
president@nfbv.org
" v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"></span></span><![endif]> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;border:none;padding:0in'><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>2020 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FROM THE BLIND OF VIRGINIA<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Priority #1: Enable blind people to get back to work faster.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;border:none;padding:0in'><b>Action:</b> <b>Support the Governor’s budget proposal for increased funds for DBVI.</b><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b>Issue: </b>The Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) provides vocational rehabilitation training, leading to employment of Virginians who are blind, deaf/blind, and vision impaired. DBVI provides training in the alternative techniques used by blind people to work and live independently. Funding for DBVI has not increased for 20 years and the waiting list for vocational rehabilitation services has grown to 250 adults and 400 underserved students. Individuals on the wait list typically wait for nearly 12 months before receiving services. Blind Virginians want to work and live independently.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b>Solution:</b> Support the Governor’s budget to increase DBVI funding. The Governor’s budget proposal is a significant step towards ensuring the availability of sufficient funds needed to serve all blind Virginians who require vocational rehabilitation services. The Governor’s budget proposal would eliminate the waiting list of 250 people, expand available workforce services, and assure a source of matching funds for the federal vocational rehabilitation grant. The Governor’s budget proposal also expands funding for older blind rehab teaching staff, allowing older blind Virginians to live independently in their homes without having to depend on institutional settings. Without this funding, <span style='font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT'>many Virginians will be denied services which lead them to self-sufficiency and the opportunity to lead productive lives.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b>Priority #2: Implement a hiring priority for Virginians with disabilities in state government.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;border:none;padding:0in'><b>Action: Co-patron HB 584 (Patron Delegate Guzman, 31st District) and SB162 (Patron Senator Spruill, 5<sup>th</sup> District) which adds a priority for hiring people with disabilities as state employees.<o:p></o:p></b></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b>Issue:</b> One in ten Virginians have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. According to the 2017 Disability Status Report by Cornell University, only about half as many Virginians with disabilities were employed in 2016, as compared to Virginians without any disabilities. Furthermore, Virginians with Disabilities are economically disadvantaged compared to their non-disabled peers even when employed. The 2017 Pew Research Center Disability Statistics annual report found that the median earnings for the Virginians with disabilities who are employed is only about two thirds of the median earnings for Virginians without disabilities.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b>Solution:</b> Provide hiring preference to persons with disabilities for jobs with the Commonwealth of Virginia. HB584/SB162 will eliminate barriers to state employment for people with disabilities by creating a hiring preference similar to the existing veteran preference if a person with a disability meets all the knowledge, skill, and ability requirements for the available position. The preference requires that a person with a disability be hired over a person without a disability when the two individuals are substantially equal in qualifications for an eligible position. The fiscal impact for changing the hiring process is $0 and the cost of accommodations would be on the hiring agency. Accommodations are typically under $500. Existing Virginia law requires the Commonwealth to promote and increase hiring of people with disabilities and agencies have been tracking their progress towards a 5% target since 2017.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>*****<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>ABOUT THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>The National Federation of the Blind is America’s largest and most active organization of the blind. With more than 50,000 members, we are not an “agency” claiming to speak for the blind; we are blind people speaking for ourselves. In Virginia, we are organized into 14 local chapters throughout the Commonwealth, and into various special interest divisions.<u><o:p></o:p></u></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>