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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>People sometimes ask if it’s necessary or beneficial to belong to a consumer group such as ours. Successes like this make it easy to answer “yes!” Working together collectively, we can achieve one success after another which benefits the blind across this great nation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Let’s continue to build the Federation!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Michael Barber<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Tall-Corn <tall-corn-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>National Federation of the Blind via Tall-Corn<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, July 16, 2020 1:00 PM<br><b>To:</b> tall-corn@nfbnet.org<br><b>Cc:</b> National Federation of the Blind <webmaster@nfb.org><br><b>Subject:</b> [Tall-Corn] {Disarmed} Amazon Agrees to Make Remote Customer Service Associate Roles Available to the Blind<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'><tr style='height:15.0pt'><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:15.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=600 style='width:6.25in'><tr><td style='background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%'><tr style='height:7.5pt'><td width="100%" valign=top style='width:100.0%;background:#0075C9;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:7.5pt'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'><img width=100 height=100 style='width:1.0416in;height:1.0416in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:~WRD0000.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender."></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td style='background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%'><tr style='height:7.5pt'><td width="100%" valign=top style='width:100.0%;background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:7.5pt'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:15.0pt 15.0pt 15.0pt 15.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><a href="nfb.org"><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=100 height=100 style='width:1.0416in;height:1.0416in' id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:~WRD0000.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender. National Federation of the Blind logo and tagline live the life you want"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td style='background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;border-color:initial'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width=600 style='width:6.25in'><tr style='height:15.0pt'><td width="100%" valign=top style='width:100.0%;background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:15.0pt'><p><strong><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p><h1><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Amazon Agrees to Make Remote Customer Service Associate Roles Available to the Blind</span></strong><o:p></o:p></h1><h2><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Discrimination Lawsuit Brought by Blind Woman Resolved</span></em><o:p></o:p></h2><p><strong><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>Detroit (July 16, 2020):</span></strong><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'> Maryann Murad, a blind Michigan resident, and the National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s oldest and largest organization of blind Americans, have reached an agreement with Amazon.com resolving the employment discrimination lawsuit they brought in September of 2019. Without admitting liability or wrongdoing, Amazon has agreed to implement accessible technology that will allow blind people to work from home as Amazon customer service representatives. Amazon will also offer Ms. Murad a work-at-home customer service position upon her successful completion of the application process and pay an undisclosed amount of money.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>In 2017, Ms. Murad tried to apply for a virtual customer service (VCS) position with Amazon, but the proprietary Amazon technology required to perform the duties of the VCS role was inaccessible with Voiceover, the Apple text-to-speech screen-reading software that Ms. Murad uses to complete tasks on her computer. Amazon has created proprietary technology that is now accessible.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>“We are pleased to reach this agreement with Amazon and hope that it is an important step in making the company a leader in twenty-first-century employment for blind people,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “Accessible technology is a key to equal employment of the blind, and this is even more true with remote employment on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Blind people can and must be a part of existing and new work environments in order to live the lives we want, and the National Federation of the Blind will continue to ensure that blind Americans are connected and protected.”</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><strong><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>###</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p><p><strong><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>About the National Federation of the Blind</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at <a href="https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=17972&qid=3973602">www.nfb.org</a>. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><strong><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black'>CONTACT:</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Chris Danielsen<br>Director of Public Relations</span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>National Federation of the Blind</span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330</span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>(410) 262-1281 (Cell)</span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><a href="https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=17973&qid=3973602">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr style='height:6.0pt'><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:6.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;display:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=600 style='width:6.25in;background:#002F6D'><tr style='height:45.0pt'><td width=135 style='width:101.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:45.0pt'></td><td width=55 style='width:41.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:45.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:white'><a href="https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=17974&qid=3973602"><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=100 height=100 style='width:1.0416in;height:1.0416in' id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:~WRD0000.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender. Facebook Logo"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></td><td width=55 style='width:41.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:45.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:white'><a href="https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=17975&qid=3973602"><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=100 height=100 style='width:1.0416in;height:1.0416in' id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:~WRD0000.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender. Twitter Logo"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></td><td width=55 style='width:41.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:45.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:white'><a href="https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=17976&qid=3973602"><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=100 height=100 style='width:1.0416in;height:1.0416in' id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:~WRD0000.jpg" alt="Image removed by sender. 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Donate to the NFB Icon."></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></td><td width=135 style='width:101.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:45.0pt'></td></tr><tr style='height:18.75pt'><td colspan=8 style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:18.75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:white'>National Federation of the Blind | 200 E Wells Street | Baltimore, MD 21230 | 410-659-9314 <o:p></o:p></span></b></p></td></tr><tr style='height:18.75pt'><td colspan=8 style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:18.75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:white'><a href="https://www.nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=1&jid=14714&qid=3973602&h=8ea4375b03a7818d" title=Unsubscribe><span style='color:white'>Unsubscribe</span></a> | <a href="https://www.nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=14714&qid=3973602&h=8ea4375b03a7818d" title="Opt Out"><span style='color:white'>Opt Out</span></a> | <a href="https://www.nfb.org/libraries/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=17980&qid=3973602" title="Sign up for email newsletter"><span style='color:white'>Sign Up for Our E-newsletter</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan=8 style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:white'>.. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:white;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 style='width:.0104in;height:.0104in' id="Picture_x0020_9" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D65B7C.D00F8A40"></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>