[Greater-baltimore] Very Urgent Help Needed to Improve Orientation and Mobility Services for Children

[nfbmd]

Hello All,

 

HB 1300 is a bill that will improve mobility services for children that the
local school systems are supposed to provide. There is opposition to the
bill from various professional groups and teachers. We must let the House
Ways and Means Committee know that parents and children need this bill. 

 

The bill calls for an O&M evaluation to be done in various lighting
conditions and in familiar and unfamiliar places. We are asking that this
section of the bill be amended so that the evaluation will include input
from classroom teachers and from parents. The bill further states that the
child should be reevaluated as a regular part of the IEP process to ensure
that the child is receiving appropriate O&M services. This bill will also
help parents to know about O&M services and about their right to an
independent evaluation. If you want to read the text of the bill go to:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2014RS/bills/hb/hb1300F.pdf 

 

Please send emails to the members of the committee according to where you
live, ie Baltimore City, Montgomery County, etc. The email address is always
the first name, then a period, then the last name, then @house.state.md.us .
I am providing the committee list at the end of this email. In addition to
the delegates in from your location, everyone should also send an email to
the Chairman of the Education Subcommittee, Delegate Anne Kaiser and to the
Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Delegate Sheila Hixson. 

 

Please get your emails in by Wednesday, March 5th. Please let me know what
response you receive. 

 

Here is the list by locations:

Allegany County - LeRoy Myers

Anne Arundel County - Ron George 

Baltimore City - Talmadge Branch, Melvin Stukes, Nina Harper

Baltimore County - Joseph Boteler, Jon Cardin

Calvert County - Mark Fisher

Fredrick County - Kathryn Afzali 

Howard County - Frank Turner

Montgomery County - Kumar Barve, Eric Luedtke, Aruna Miller, Bill Frick

PG County - Jolene Ivey, Carolyn Howard, Michael Summers, Jay Walker, 

Alonzo Washington (thank him for sponsoring the bill)

Washington County - Andrew Serafini  

 

Make sure the delegates know that we want them to vote in favor of this
bill. Get your family and friends to send emails too. 

 

Thanks for your help, 

Sharon Maneki