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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>From Deepa Goraya:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On Thursday, October 7, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, the US AbilityOne Commission will be holding its regular quarterly public meeting. As the notice of this meeting in the Federal Register states, “The Commission oversees the AbilityOne Program, which provides employment opportunities through federal contracts for people who are blind or have significant disabilities in the manufacture and delivery of products and services to the Federal Government.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>One of the immensely important topics that the Commission will discuss on Thursday is the increase of competitive integrated employment in the AbilityOne Program. It would be beneficial to have a virtual audience full of Federation members to show our support. Additionally, our very own Gabe Cazares serves as one of the new AbilityOne Commissioners.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Attendees will be given the opportunity to make brief remarks. The exact logistics for that process will be announced during the meeting.<span style='color:#1F497D'> </span>It would be wonderful if we could have at least one member from every state to demonstrate the broad geographical diversity of our movement. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>With yesterday’s announcement from Illinois that Governor Pritzker signed an executive order banning subminimum wages for people with disabilities on state use contracts, and last week’s announcement from California that Governor Newsom signed a law that will ban subminimum wages for people with disabilities by 2025, there is a tremendous groundswell of momentum for this movement. We must take advantage of this momentum while we have it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The deadline to register for the call is today at midnight Eastern, so please visit the <a href="https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_2C0HU9BjTv-GGYYYE2lOUA">registration link</a> and sign up before it’s too late!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Be Great!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Kyle<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Kyle Walls<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Research and Regulatory Specialist<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, extension 2223 | <span style='color:#1F497D'><a href="mailto:kwalls@nfb.org">kwalls@nfb.org</a> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://nfb.org/"><span style='color:#0563C1;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"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind"><span style='color:#0563C1;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></span></a><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice"><span style='color:#0563C1;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></span></a><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind"><span style='color:#0563C1;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></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><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><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </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><span style='color:#222222'><br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>