<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Dear Affiliate Members: <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">On September 27, the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) was incorporated into the House version of the Build Back Better Act. For a month we advocated for Congress to maintain the provisions of the ATAA in the larger bill. Unfortunately, we learned late last week, on October 28, that the section of the Build Back Better Act containing the ATAA had been removed.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">By the time you receive this, it’s likely the Build Back Better Act will have passed the House, but we still have a chance to get the ATAA back into the bill in the Senate. We need everyone to contact Senator Wyden and urge him to require this provision in the final bill. When you call or email you might say:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">“My name is [YOUR NAME] and I live in [CITY], Oregon. I want to urge Senator Wyden to require that the Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 431/S. 212) into the Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376). This bill will have a tremendous impact on the lives of blind Oregonians by improving education, increasing employment opportunities, and increasing overall self-sufficiency. Thank you.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">We suggest a subject like: “Please Maintain the ATAA Provision in the Build Back Better Act”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Please contact both (by email or phone) the chief of staff and the domestic economic policy advisor for Senator Wyden. The number for the Capitol Switchboard is <span dir="ltr" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline;">202-224-3121</span>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Jeff Michels<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Chief of Staff<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:jeff_michels@wyden.senate.gov" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);">jeff_michels@wyden.senate.gov</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Madison Moskowitz<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Domestic Economic Policy Adviser<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:madison_moskowitz@wyden.senate.gov" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);">madison_moskowitz@wyden.senate.gov</a></p><div><br></div><div>Thanks for your prompt attention to this.</div><div><br></div><br><div dir="ltr">Carla McQuillan<div>President,</div><div>National Federation of the </div><div>Blind of Oregon</div><div>Bell Academy</div><div>Training and Branding</div><div>541-653-9153</div></div></body></html>