<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">We all got a request to contact our legislators to urge them to cosponsor H.R.1175 and H.R.1529. In case it will help you to write your letter, Below is what I wrote. You would have to put in your name and city and your member’s name. I used the name of Latta’s legislative director. We got a spread sheep with the names of contact people in each office. This is what I wrote:<div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal; font-size: medium; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Hello, my name is Barbara Pierce, and I am a constituent living in Oberlin. I urge Representative Latta to cosponsor the Blind Americans Return to Work Act, H.R. 1175, introduced by Representative Pete Sessions; and the Access Technology Affordability Act, H.R. 1529, introduced by Representative Mike Kelly. Both of these bills will eliminate barriers for blind people. H.R.1175 will institute a two-for-one phase out of benefits for any income earned above the substantial gainful activity threshold in the SSDI program, and H.R. 1529 will create a refundable tax credit for the purchase of qualified access technology. These two bills will create a true work incentive for all blind Americans currently on SSDI and a method for blind Americans to be able to afford the access technology they need to obtain and maintain employment.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal; font-size: medium; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: normal; font-size: medium; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><div>
<div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Barbara Pierce (she, her, hers)</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">President Emerita<br>National Federation of the Blind of Ohio<br>Barbara.pierce9366@gmail.com<br>440-774-8077<br> <br><br>The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise expectations for blind people because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and their dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.</div></div>
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