[MDPOBC] Urgent Actions Needed

[Sharon Maneki]

This is the first of two messages that I am sending to you because we need
your help.

We need you to contact four senators. Last week, we asked you to contact
Senators Cardin and Van Hollen about the Thune amendment. If you did not
have an opportunity to do that please do it right away. There is a
correction to the name of the act that Senator Thune wants to amend. The
correct name is "The United States Innovation and Competition Act".

Please contact Senators Cardin (shannon_frede at cardin.senate.gov)  and Van
Hollen (deborah_haynie at vanhollen.senate.gov). The Thune amendment may be
introduced tomorrow, May 27, so please act right away. We also need to
contact the Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Peters, an important
member of the appropriate committee.

The contact in Senator Schumer’s office is Meghan Taira,
meghan_taira at schumer.senate.gov.



The contact in Senator Peters’s office is Catherine Barrett,
catherine_barrett at peters.senate.gov.


For your convenience, here is information about the Thune amendment.
The National Federation of the Blind has been working with Senator John
Thune on an amendment to the The United States Innovation and Competition
Act . This amendment relates to fully automated vehicles and contains two
provisions that would benefit blind people.

The first provision would create an exemption classification for
manufacturers who “provide transportation access for individuals with
disabilities (as defined in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102)), including non-visual access for individuals
who are blind or visually impaired,” as long as the vehicle was
equivalently safe to a non-exempt vehicle. The second would prohibit a
state from issuing a “motor vehicle operator’s license for the operation or
use of a highly automated vehicle in a manner that discriminates on the
basis of disability.”


Read John Pare's message below for a sample letter. Thank you. We do not
want to be shut out from the opportunity to use driverless vehicles.



Please contact your senators and ask them to support this important
amendment. When you call or email your senators, you might say something
like:



"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 support
Senator Thune’s automated vehicles amendment to the United States
Innovation and Competition Act.  The amendment contains two provisions that
would benefit blind people. The first would create an exemption
classification for manufacturers who provide transportation access for
individuals with disabilities as long as the vehicle was equivalently safe
to a non-exempt vehicle. The second would prohibit a state from issuing an
operator’s license for the use of a highly automated vehicle in a manner
that discriminates on the basis of disability. Together, these two
amendments will ensure that blind Americans are able to reap the rewards of
highly automated vehicles.



Thanks."



You can contact your senators 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 jkaloc at nfb.org. Your calls and emails
do make a difference.





*Sharon Maneki, Director of Legislation and Advocacy*
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
410-715-9596

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland knows that blindness is
not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Everyday we raise
the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.
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