<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Hello. <div><br></div><div>Below is an update on the Access Technology Affordability Act. As of today, neither Senator from Connecticut has co-sponsored this bill, and we need them on board. Please read on, and contact their offices. If you send an e-mail, please copy Maryanne Melley and myself, as well as Jeff Kaloc, onto the message. Twenty-seven is more than half, so we’re making progress. Feel free to reach out to me if I can help in any way. </div><div><br></div><div><br><br><div dir="ltr">Jim Y. McCollum <div>Board Member and Legislative Coordinator </div><div>National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut </div><div>860-581-0430 </div><div>j.mccollum64@comcast.net</div><div>Sent from my iPhone</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> "Kaloc, Jeff via NFB-Legislative-Directors" <nfb-legislative-directors@nfbnet.org><br><b>Date:</b> September 29, 2021 at 2:44:45 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> nfb-legislative-directors@nfbnet.org<br><b>Cc:</b> "Kaloc, Jeff" <JKaloc@nfb.org><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[NFB-Legislative-Directors] Legislative Alert - The Access Technology Affordability Act</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> NFB Legislative Directors List <nfb-legislative-directors@nfbnet.org><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">Wanted to provide an update for the Access Technology Affordability Act. This week two senators and one member of Congress have cosponsored the bill! This brings our current totals
to 27 Senate cosponsors and 114 House cosponsors. Senator Klobuchar, Chairwoman of the Senate Rules and Administration committee and Senator Cortez Masto from the Senate Finance committee have cosponsored the bill. Rep. Morelle from New York has also cosponsored
the legislation. Thank you to our affiliates from Minnesota, Nevada, and New York for your hard work!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">As I mentioned weeks prior, we are closing in to getting the Access Technology Affordability Act passed into law. It has been included in the House Reconciliation legislation but
it is important to keep advocating for the bill so it remains in the Senate version. That being said, it is critically important to reach out to your Senators to gain support. Having these Senators cosponsor the bill is critical to it remaining in the reconciliation
bill. We must move quickly and place a sense of urgency on this task as the House and Senate continue to negotiate the provisions of the overall package. By reaching out to your Senator for support, this will greatly improve the likelihood that we will be
able to keep the Access Technology Affordability Act in the reconciliation bill.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">When you call or email, you might say the following:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">"Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent of [SENATOR NAME]. I live in [CITY, STATE]. I would like to urge [SENATOR NAME] to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability
Act, S. 212. This legislation removes an employment barrier commonly experienced by blind Americans who cannot afford the high cost of access technology by creating a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2,000 to offset the cost of this technology.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">Thanks."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">You can contact your member of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for the office in question. The number is 202-224-3121. If you email your senators, please
copy Jeff Kaloc at <a href="mailto:jkaloc@nfb.org">jkaloc@nfb.org</a>. Your calls and emails do make a difference.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">It is best to call or email the relevant staff person in your member of Congress's office. For your convenience, attached in the word document is the name of the staffer and his/her
email address.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">Thank you for all that you do,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">Jeff Kaloc<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">Governmental Affairs Specialist<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif">410-659-9314, extension 2206 |
<a href="mailto:jkaloc@nfb.org">jkaloc@nfb.org</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://nfb.org/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="210" height="76" style="width:2.1833in;height:.7916in" id="_x0000_i1028" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/nfblogo.png" alt="National Federation of the Blind"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" style="width:.25in;height:.25in" id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/facebook.png" alt="Facebook"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" style="width:.25in;height:.25in" id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/twitter.png" alt="Twitter"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" style="width:.25in;height:.25in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/youtube.png" alt="Youtube"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",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></p>
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