[Massachusetts-NFB] Washington Seminar Monday January 30th 2023 - Update 1 - Action Required

Mon Nov 14 21:22:14 UTC 2022

We have updates on the upcoming NFB Washington Seminar, and specific action steps you should take regarding attending and participating in this event.

Event Overview
The annual NFB Washington Seminar legislative event will take place during the week of Monday January 30th at the usual
Holiday Inn Washington-Capitol<https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/washington/wassm/hoteldetail>
The existing NFB Washington Seminar event page<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar>
Will be continuously updated with details as we get closer to the event. We have a phenomenally low hotel rate of $109.00 which is as low as its been for the past 25 years!

Action Items for Those Interested in Attending

Booking Hotel Rooms $109 Rate
The Holiday Inn Capitol is offering an unusually low rate of $109.00 plus tax for NFB event attendees. You should book your room reservations as soon as possible to ensure that you get this exceptional low rate before it sells out or is amended.
To book a room, please use our booking link<https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/washington/wassm/hoteldetail?fromRedirect=true&qSrt=sBR&qIta=99801505&icdv=99801505&qSlH=WASSM&qGrpCd=NB8&setPMCookies=true&qSHBrC=HI&qDest=550%20C%20Street%20S.W.,%20Washington,%20DC,%20US&srb_u=1>.
Or call
877-834-3613
and use group code: NB8
You should book a room even if you are not 100% sure of your availability to attend, as reservations can be cancelled if needed. However, once the rate is gone, you may not be able to get the discount.
You need to arrive on or before Monday January 30th. There will be activities that afternoon and the key opening session at 5:00 pm. Appointments on capital hill will take place primarily on Tuesday January 31st, Wednesday February 1st, and any remaining few appointments on Thursday February 2nd.
Many people arrive either Sunday or Monday, and then depart either Tuesday evening or Wednesday evening depending on their schedules.

Please be aware that there is an accessibility issue with the IHG Holiday Inn booking portal. Specifically, there is a checkout step where you must agree to terms and conditions in order to confirm the reservation. The checkbox in many if not most cases is not accessible with a screen reader. You may need to use a service like AIRA to get around this limitation, or call the hotel to make your booking. We are investigating what can be done about this longstanding accessibility bug with the large IHG hotel brand. This accessibility issue is not specific to this one hotel, it appears on many if not all IHG brand hotel booking channels. We have not fully tested the iOS app to see if that may be another work around.

Booking Travel to and From DC
The nearest airport to the hotel is Ronald Reagan National airport, code DCA. DCA is only about a 10 minute Uber/taxi or metro ride to the hotel. Amtrak train service is also available to the DC area. The two other DC area airports, IAD and BWI, are considerably further from the hotel but some members choose to fly in to those. There also may be other, not yet announced, events taking place during the weekend or on Monday January 30th.

Be careful if you book what is known as a "basic economy" air fare. These fares typically do not allow any changes, seat assignments, or other advantages. If you book a standard economy, or main cabin, fare, you can typically make changes without having to pay change fees, etc, though you may have to pay a difference in air fare for any changed itinerary. You can book your travel to and from DC with any travel provider, the NFB does not have any type of consolidated managed travel program for these types of travel bookings.

Notifying State Affiliate of Interest to Attend and Funding
Please notify Shara Winton, President of NFB of Massachusetts of your interest and availability to attend this event. We have setup funding mechanisms similar to years past, where NFB can assist you with part of the travel expenses to attend the event.

Please email the following information or call Shara with it:
Full name
Your cell phone number
Your email address
Your city and state
Who is your House of Representatives member in congress?
What chapter or division of NFBMA are you a member of, if any?
What dates you plan to be in DC?

Please advise if you would like to request funding assistance.

Please send the above information to:
Shara Winton
sharawinton at gmail.com<mailto:sharawinton at gmail.com>
Phone: 617-600-8130

Additional Updates and Frequently Asked Questions
I will send the next update either in November or December. We will continue to receive updates and more precise information as we draw closer to the event.

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions we have already received from NFBMA members:

Q: What will be the Covid19 protocols at the event?
A: This information is still being determined based on the policies that will be in place for Congress in late January. We likely won't have very specific details on this until late December or early January.

Q: During the last few years this event has been virtual, will it be in person in 2023?
A: NFB is planning for an in person event at this time. Our best information is that the event will be in person, and many people are looking forward to such an in person event across Washington, DC. However, again, final information will be released as we get closer. Again, we would advise you not to book Basic Economy, Blue Basic, or similar highly restricted air fares, as the airlines will likely not issue air fare credits for these in the event that either NFB or you need to change your plans with these basic fares.

Q: What other events are planned especially before the Great Gathering In meeting on Monday evening?
A: This information is still developing.

Q: What is the best and fastest way to get more specific updates about this upcoming event?
A: Listen to the live or recorded NFB Presidential releases which come out around the 1st of the month. The December and January releases will very likely have more refined updates.

Q: Should I hold off on booking travel, especially the hotel?
A: No, you should book the hotel as soon as possible to insure you receive the $109 rate.

Q: How much financial assistance is available to help me defray travel expenses?
A: As with prior years, for those that are funded, we expect to provide about $600 of travel reimbursements. The exact amount may change slightly based on the funding source and number of attendees, but this is the general plan.

Q: How can I save costs on my experience?
A: Many people opt to have roommates, there are low cost restaurants near the hotel, and typically air fare prices from Boston to DCA are at or around $200 roundtrip if not even lower. Also this years hotel room rate is lower than it has been for the past 30 years or so! The hotel room rate typically has been in the $200 range!

NFB of Massachusetts and myself looks forward to your participation in 2023! We are hoping to have at least 10 to 15 if not more delegates from Massachusetts attend! This is a great event and resembles a mini midyear winter NFB convention!

I would personally recommend that all of you attend as the event is jam packed with opportunities to work and play in the nations capital!

You can also personally contact me with questions at:
Mika.pyyhkala at envisionus.com<mailto:Mika.pyyhkala at envisionus.com>

Best,
Mika Pyyhkala,
1st Vice President
NFB of Massachusetts

Mika Pyyhkala
Dir. of Digital Accessibility - BVI Workforce Innovation Center
Envision, Inc.
610 N. Main St.
Wichita, Kansas 
67203
Direct: 316-440-1573
Mobile: 617-308-1114
www.envisionus.com

Envision Mission: To improve the quality of life and provide inspiration and opportunity for people who are blind or visually impaired through employment, outreach, rehabilitation, education and research.

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