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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Dear fellow Federationists, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Just over 2 weeks ago members of the National Federation of the Blind took Capitol Hill by storm, meeting with every member of the US House of Representatives and all 100 members of the Senate in their Washington, D.C. offices. The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa was represented by Janae Burgmeier, Katy Olsen, and me. Our team met with Congressman Rod Blum (District 1), Congressman Dave Loebsack (District 2), and Congressman David Young (District 3), in person. We also met with both Senator Joni Ernst and Senator Charles Grassley. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This year we had a great response from our Congressmen and Senators. Below is a short description of this year’s accomplishments. Please note the call to action below regarding this Thursday’s vote on H.R. 620, the ADA Education and Reform Act. I have also attached the factsheets for the four issues for your reference. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Congressman Young is a champion for blind Iowans as he is the sponsor of the Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1734), and he is a co-sponsor of the Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act (H.R. 1772). The congressman will not support The ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 620), a bill he had co-sponsored last year. We were honored when he spoke at the 2017 National convention in Orlando, Florida. Congressman Young tweeted – “I had a good conversation with these Iowans who were in Washington with the National Federation for the Blind. I have enjoyed working with them in the past and we talked about the Access Technology Affordability Act earlier this week.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Congressman Blum tweeted the following after our visit with him – “<span lang=EN style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#14171A'>Thank you to Janae, Katy, and Jerad from the </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Iowa"><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1C94E0'>@NFB_Iowa</span></a><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#14171A'> to talk about bills to help with accessibility for the blind. I am happy to join as a cosponsor to both HR1772 & HR1734. He has since signed up to be a co-sponsor for both bills as he promised he would. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Congressman Loebsack expressed interest in the Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act (H.R. 1772), and has co-sponsored the Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1734) since the Washington Seminar.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#080808'>Please see the below E-mail from Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette with a Call to Action concerning H.R. 620, </span>the “ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017,”<span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#080808'>:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Many of you were already aware that H.R. 620, the “ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017,” was moving toward a vote in the House of Representatives this week. We have recently learned that vote is scheduled to take place this Thursday morning, February 15. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In light of these developments, the National Federation of the Blind is mobilizing to reiterate our strong opposition to this bill leading up to the vote on Thursday. We are encouraging all of our members to call, email, and contact their representatives via social media over the next two days. A high volume of contact from us will be especially critical on Wednesday, February 14th, the day before the vote. The more that members of Congress hear from us on that day, the harder it will be for them to forget our opposition as they cast their votes the next day.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Contact information, including office phone numbers, email addresses, and social media handles can be found on the website of each member of Congress. You can also call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected directly to the Washington, DC office of your member of Congress. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>These next two days are critical for us if we hope to stop the momentum of this bill. We laid the foundation of this work at our Washington Seminar and this next phase represents the crucial follow-up effort that may very well help stop this bill and make sure that civil rights for the blind are not set back by thirty years. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The important thing is that we, the National Federation of the Blind, make our voices heard loudly and often over the next two days. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please see below for a sample email that can be used when emailing your members of Congress. Remember, these messages do not need to be long or detailed. In fact, short and to the point is often the best way to go.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Representative [Last Name]:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My name is [blank] and I live in [city], [state]. I am writing to you today to urge you to vote no on H.R. 620, the “ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017.” This bill will diminish the rights of blind people by eroding the foundation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[Your name]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[Street address]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[Phone number]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For any calls you make to your representative’s office, a similar script can be used. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Once again, thank you for all that you do to advance the legislative priorities of the blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Best,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dylan<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Government Affairs 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 2210 | <a href="mailto:DHedtler-Gaudette@nfb.org">DHedtler-Gaudette@nfb.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#080808'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Jerad S. Nylin, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>National Federation of the Blind of Iowa <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="mailto:jerad.nfbi@gmail.com">jerad.nfbi@gmail.com</a><u><span style='color:blue'> </span></u><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>319-535-3723<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfb.org/"><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>www.nfb.org</span></a><u><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'> </span></u><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-Of-the-Blind-Of-Iowa-372681823082570/posts"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Like the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa on Facebook</span></a><u><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></u></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://twitter.com/nfb_iowa"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Follow us on Twitter @NFB_Iowa</span></a><u><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue'> </span></u><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Live the life you want.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br />
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