[GABS] URGENT: NABS Needs YOUR HELP to Pass the ATAA

[Johna Wright]

Hello, GABS Family! 

In case you don’t know me, I’m Johna Wright, a proud Georgian and board member for the National Association of Blind Students. I have a small favor to ask of you all today, as NABS needs your help to pass the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) (S. B 815/H.R. 2086). Please keep reading to find out what you can do to ensure that technology is accessible to all blind Americans. If you have questions, please reach out to me at the email or phone number listed in my signature. 

> I hope that you are doing well during this COVID-19 pandemic. NABS needs your help to pass important legislation to make access technology more affordable for blind people, including students. 
> 
> We need Georgia students to contact both Senators and their individual Representative. This means that each student would contact three offices. We need as many students as possible to make these contacts because we need more legislators to sign onto our bill before they finalize the next COVID-19 package. This means that we need to contact them right away so that they can learn about our bill, make decisions, and have their name added to it. We are racing to build up our bill before they assemble the final package. Please be sure that the offices hear from Georgia students this week. 
> 
> Below my signature is a template for reaching out to the National office for your Senators’ and Representative’s staff contact information as well as a draft email that you and other Georgia students can use to ask both Senators and their Representative to cosponsor the bill. 
> 
> Could you please send such an email right away, as well as help me get in touch with all other Georgia blind students?
> 
> Thank you in advance!
> 
> Johna Wright
> she/her/hers
> Board Member | National Association of Blind Students 
> A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind 
> johnawright98 at gmail.com
> (706) 962-2613
> www.nabslink.org
> 
> To: Jesa Medders jmedders at nfb.org 
> Cc: Team Lead (Justin Salisbury President at Alumni.ECU.edu or Justin Young jty727 at gmail.com)
> Subject: Requesting Hill Staff Contacts for ATAA
> 
> Dear Jesa,
> 
> I am an NFB member who wants to help build cosponsorship of the Access Technology Affordability Act. I have been advised to contact you by leaders in the National Association of Blind Students. 
> 
> Could you please give me the staff contacts for my two Senators and one Representative?
> 
> State:
> Senators:
> Representative: 
> 
> Thank you very much!
> 
> Your Name
> Your Address (where you vote)
> 
> 
> 
> Contact Info for Team Leads:
> 
> Justin Young
> jty727 at gmail.com
> 585-730-2925
> 
> Justin Salisbury
> President at Alumni.ECU.edu
> 808-797-8606
> 
> Subject: Draft Email to Legislative Staff Members
> 
> To: staff contact
> Cc: Kaloc, Jeff JKaloc at nfb.org, Trisha Kulkarni trishak.nfb at gmail.com, Kathryn Webster nabs.president at gmail.com, and Team Lead (Justin Salisbury President at Alumni.ECU.edu or Justin Young jty727 at gmail.com)
> Subject: Please Cosponsor S. 815/H.R. 2086
> 
> Dear ###, 
> 
> I am one of your constituents from City, State. I write to respectfully request that my Senator/Congressman/Congresswoman co-sponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) (S. B 815/H.R. 2086).
> 
> <give some background on yourself in order to establish rapport> 
> 
> The cost of critically needed access technology is out of reach for most blind Americans. By providing a refundable tax credit for qualifying purchases, Congress will stimulate individual procurement of this technology and promote affordability of these tools. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many Americans to become much more dependent upon technology, which has exacerbated the challenges that blind students, job seekers, and employees were already facing. 
> 
> This bill already has bicameral bipartisan support. S. 815 currently has 23 cosponsors, and H.R. 2086 currently has 94 cosponsors. I wish to see my Senator/Congresswoman/Congressman sign on as a cosponsor.
> 
> Will Senator/Congresswoman/Congressman #### please cosponsor this bill?
> 
> I have copied Jeff Kaloc jkaloc at nfb.orgwith the National Federation of the Blind national office. He is available to answer any detailed questions you might have.
> 
> Thank you in advance,
> 
> Your Name
> Your Address (where you vote)
> Your Contact Info
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