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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><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hello NFB Family and Friends,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please read the information regarding Washington Seminar from Deepa Goraya!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hello everyone,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I wanted to provide some important information for the 2021 Washington Seminar. This upcoming Washington Seminar will be a bit different from years past. It will be completely virtual, which has its pros. You won’t need to travel to DC, and you won’t need to worry about frantically making it from one end of the House buildings to the other between appointments. Of course, we will miss seeing our friends and socializing in person. But we hope many more of you will be able to attend this year since you can participate from home.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Washington Seminar will be held February 8-11. The Great Gathering In will be on the 8<sup>th</sup> at 5 PM, and will be virtual. Congressional appointments will be scheduled February 9-11 and will also be virtual. We will have a bit more flexibility for appointments, since we’ll be able to schedule them over all three days. There will be trainings provided as usual before appointments to inform you of the issues we’ll be presenting on, but they will just be virtual trainings. Info about the trainings and the issues are forthcoming.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I will be scheduling most of our zoom appointments with our representatives. But we will need some info from you to determine which appointments and teams you’ll be a part of. Congressional members still want to ensure they are scheduling appointments with their constituents, so it will be important that you are present at the appointment with your representative.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you could please email the following info to Arielle Silverman this month so that we can begin scheduling these appointments and creating the teams:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Your name, what days you will be able to attend Washington Seminar (9<sup>th</sup>, 10<sup>th</sup>, 11<sup>th</sup>, or all three days) and what times you’ll be available on each of those days between 8 AM and 6 PM, your address, and a phone number and email address where you can be quickly reached. You can email Arielle at <a href="mailto:arielle@disabilitywisdom.com">arielle@disabilitywisdom.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For any questions, you can email me at <a href="mailto:deepa.goraya@gmail.com">deepa.goraya@gmail.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Deepa Goraya<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Virginia, Co-Legislative Director<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Deepinder K. Goraya, Esq<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#222222'><br>Peace,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Jacki Bruce<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Corresponding Secretary, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia<br><a href="mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com</span></a></span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='color:#222222'><a href="tel:(757)291-1789" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>tel:(757)291-1789</span></a></span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='color:#222222'><a href="http://www.nfb.org/" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>www.nfb.org</span></a></span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='color:#222222'><a href="http://www.nfbv.org/" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>www.nfbv.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Follow us on Twitter @NFBVirginia<br>Find us on Facebook @NationalFederationoftheBlindofVirginia<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Live the life you want.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#222222'>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></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>