<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><br><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div class="WordSection1"><h1 style="mso-margin-top-alt:22.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white"><span style="font-size:39.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;font-weight:normal">TIME-SENSITIVE ACTION NEEDED: Appeal Your OCR Complaint Dismissal Before April 4, 2020</span><o:p></o:p></h1><p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:15.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white;box-sizing: border-box"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Per the NFB’s settlement agreement with the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, individuals whose OCR complaints were dismissed for insufficient evidence between March 5, 2018, and November 19, 2018, may appeal the dismissal but have only until <strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">April 4, 2020</span></strong>, to do so.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:15.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white;box-sizing: border-box"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">An appeal can be filed electronically, by mail, or by fax. You must either submit a completed online appeal form or mail a written statement of no more than ten pages (double spaced, if typed): if submitted by mail, send to the Office for Civil Rights, US Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20202; if submitted via e-mail, send to <a href="mailto:OCR@ed.gov"><span style="color:#005AA3">OCR@ed.gov</span></a>; if submitted via fax, send to 202-453-6012. The filing date of an appeal is the date the appeal is postmarked, submitted electronically, or submitted via fax.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:15.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white;box-sizing: border-box"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">In the appeal, you must explain why you believe the factual information was incomplete or incorrect, the legal analysis was incorrect or the appropriate legal standard was not applied, and how correction of any error(s) would change the outcome of the case; failure to do so may result in dismissal of the appeal.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:15.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white;box-sizing: border-box"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information about the <a href="https://www.nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.org/files/files-pdf/countersigned-settlement-agreement-ace-for-website.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:#005AA3">NFB’s settlement agreement with the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights</span></a> or your right to appeal an OCR complaint dismissal, contact Valerie Yingling, legal program coordinator, at <a href="mailto:vyingling@nfb.org"><span style="color:#005AA3">vyingling@nfb.org</span></a> or 410-659-9314, extension 2440.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:15.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white;box-sizing: border-box"><strong><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">###</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p><p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:15.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white;box-sizing: border-box"><strong><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">About the National Federation of the Blind</span></strong><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB defends the rights of blind people of all ages, and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at <a href="https://www.nfb.org/"><span style="color:#005AA3">nfb.org</span></a>.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">CONTACT</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Chris Danielsen</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Director of Public Relations</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">National Federation of the Blind</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">410-659-9314, extension 2330</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">410-262-1281 (cell)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org"><span style="color:#005AA3">cdanielsen@nfb.org</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This notice is also available at: <a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/time-sensitive-action-needed-appeal-your-ocr-complaint-dismissal-april-4-2020">https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/time-sensitive-action-needed-appeal-your-ocr-complaint-dismissal-april-4-2020</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Christopher S. Danielsen, J.D.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Director of Public Relations<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">(410) 659-9314, Ext. 2330 | <a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Twitter: @rlawyer <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://nfb.org/"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="210" height="76" style="width:2.1875in;height:.7916in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/nfblogo.png" alt="National Federation of the Blind" data-unique-identifier=""></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" style="width:.25in;height:.25in" id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/facebook.png" alt="Facebook" data-unique-identifier=""></span></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" style="width:.25in;height:.25in" id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/twitter.png" alt="Twitter" data-unique-identifier=""></span></a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" style="width:.25in;height:.25in" id="_x0000_i1028" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/youtube.png" alt="Youtube" data-unique-identifier=""></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></blockquote><style><!--
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