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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Good Evening Fellow Federationists:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I tried to send this out last week, but it wouldn’t let the attachments through, so I will copy and paste Director Whartons message below which has links to the items mentioned. The IDB budget is our main concern, but some of us may be interested in the guardianship issue too. Please feel free to contact your legislators on either or both of these items as you see fit. Thanks!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hello affiliate presidents and legislative chairs. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our IDB appropriation is now part of HF758. I’ll paste the link below and attach the RTF for your convenience. It lists our appropriation as <span style='font-size:7.5pt'> ...................................................................... $ 2,247,499 which matches our request and the Governor’s recommendation. We had a bit of a problem with the FTE count in the bill’s predecessor last week, but Rep. Kerr was very helpful and responsive in getting that straightened out for us in this bill. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=88&ba=HF758">https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=88&ba=HF758</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On another issue that might be of interest to you all, we are working on partnering with Disability Rights Iowa to provide education to families around guardianship. DRI will also be presenting on this topic at the IESBVI Spring Family Conference on Saturday. We have seen some issues and problems where parents or family members seek to obtain or obtain guardianship and maybe don’t understand the issues that this might cause when a person is seeking to obtain independence. Generally speaking guardianship is meant to protect individuals who do not have the mental capacity to make their own financial, medical, or other significant life decisions. Sometimes there is a misinformed presumption made that a blind person without reduced mental capacity should have a guardian. I wanted you all to be aware of this issue and the related bill. This bill seems to be a very positive step and would prevent guardianships from being rubber stamped by judges. Here is the link and the RTF is attached. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=88&ba=SF424"><span style='color:#954F72'>https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=88&ba=SF424</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'><br>Sincerely,<br><br>Emily Wharton, MFA CPM<br>Director, Iowa Department for the Blind<br>515.281.1334<br><a href="https://blind.iowa.gov">https://blind.iowa.gov</a><br><a href="http://www.atiowa.net">http://www.atiowa.net</a><br>"A proud partner in the America’s Job Center Network"<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Scott Van Gorp, President<br>National Federation of the Blind of Iowa<br>Phone: 515-720-5282<br></span><a href="mailto:svangorp@nfbi.org"><span style='color:#0563C1'>Email</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfbi.org/"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#0563C1'>Website</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <br></span></i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-Of-the-Blind-Of-Iowa-372681823082570/posts"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#0563C1'>Facebook</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <br></span></i><a href="https://twitter.com/nfb_iowa"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#0563C1'>Twitter</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <br>Live the life you want.<br></span></i><br>The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa 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><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>