[Ohio-talk] NFB Response to State of the Union

Tue Feb 4 21:28:45 UTC 2014

Suzanne,

Thank you, is it possible for us to start a petition on this important
issue, to send to President, Vice, and the Secretary of Labor ?

Best!

Cheryl Fields

On 2/4/14, Suzanne Turner <sturner at clevelandsightcenter.org> wrote:
>
> Begin forwarded message:
> From: "Lewis, Anil" <ALewis at nfb.org<mailto:ALewis at nfb.org>>
> Date: February 3, 2014, 5:28:35 PM EST
> To: NDLA Steering
> <ndla-steering-committee at googlegroups.com<mailto:ndla-steering-committee at googlegroups.com>>,
> NDLA General
> <ndla-general-list- at googlegroups.com<mailto:ndla-general-list- at googlegroups.com>>
> Subject: NFB Response to State of the Union
> Reply-To:
> ndla-general-list- at googlegroups.com<mailto:ndla-general-list- at googlegroups.com>
>
> Marc Maurer,President
>
> 200 East Wells Street
>
> at Jernigan Place
>
> Baltimore, MD 21230
>
> Phone 410 659 <tel:410%20659%209314> 9314<tel:410%20659%209314>Fax 410 685
> 5653<tel:410%20685%205653>
>
> www.nfb.org<http://www.nfb.org>
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> February 3, 2014
>
>
>
> President Barack Obama
>
> The White House
>
> 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
>
> Washington, DC 20500
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear Mr. President:
>
>
>
> In your January 28th State of the Union Address, and via a conference call
> with Vice President Biden and Secretary of Labor Perez on January 29th, it
> was announced that all contractors would be required by executive order to
> pay their federally funded workers at least $10.10 an hour under any new
> contracts. The National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest
> nationwide organization of blind Americans, urges you to include workers
> with disabilities in this executive order, affirmatively and explicitly. We
> further urge you to announce that you will sign the Fair Wages for Workers
> with Disabilities Act (H.R. 831) if and when that legislation reaches your
> desk. With a Republican sponsor and substantial Democratic co-sponsorship,
> this nonpartisan piece of legislation will responsibly phase out the
> discriminatory practice of paying workers with disabilities less than the
> minimum wage.
>
>
>
> Our respect and prayers go out to Americans like Sergeant First Class Cory
> Remsburg, who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom and
> equality we seek to enjoy as American citizens. We are thankful that
> Sergeant Remsburg is recovering from the wounds he suffered in service to
> this great nation. But we must point out that his value to our society is
> not a function of the restoration of his eyesight and ability to walk, but
> of the simple fact that he is a human being with determination, belief in
> himself, love for the United States, and aspirations for his future. There
> are millions of others who actively seek to serve this nation we love with
> our unique talents and strengths, whether or not we can benefit from
> technology or medical intervention that will mitigate or eliminate our
> disabilities. Some of us may be blind in both eyes; others may not be able
> to hear; some may be unable to walk; some may have developmental
> disabilities that require innovative interventions; and still others may
> have other disabilities that require them to perform everyday tasks a little
> differently. We seek to have our different characteristics embraced as
> respected contributions to our nation's diversity, not as badges of
> inferiority that condemn us to a life of low wages and low expectations. We
> are no less valuable, we are no less capable, and we are no less American
> than any other citizen.
>
>
>
> We wholeheartedly agree with you when you say, "The America we want for our
> kids - a rising America where honest work is plentiful and communities are
> strong; where prosperity is widely shared and opportunity for all lets us go
> as far as our dreams and toil will take us - none of it is easy. But if we
> work together; if we summon what is best in us, the way Cory summoned what
> is best in him, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast
> towards tomorrow - I know it's within our reach." We believe that this
> America includes people with disabilities, and we ask you to demonstrate
> that you believe it as well.
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Marc Maurer, President
> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>
> cc: Vice President Joseph R. Biden
>
>      The Honorable Thomas E. Perez
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> Anil
> Sent from my iPhone
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>
> Suzanne Turner, BSW, MPA
> Employment Coordinator and Benefit Specialist
>
> Cleveland Sight Center
> 216-791-8118 (main)
> 216-658-7350 (direct)
> 216-791-1101 (fax)
> sturner at ClevelandSightCenter.org <mailto:sturner at ClevelandSightCenter.org>
>
> 1909 East 101st Street
> P.O. Box 1988
> Cleveland, Ohio  44106-0188
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> Our Empowerment Park construction is complete! The ribbon was cut on October
> 17th and we have been awarded the UCI "Building the Circle" award. Come view
> the video here<http://youtu.be/OrJZzUfA_tc>.
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> Our Mission: To empower people with vision loss to realize their full
> potential, and to shape the community's vision of that potential.
>
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