[New-York-News] Advocacy options with regards, USPS

[Heather Bird]

Good morning, Rachel. So, you ask a good question. Primarily this list is for announcements, however, I think the question you raise is worth addressing briefly here. As far as what you can do. I would start by finding out who manages that particular post office. You can also call the main number for USPS, and you will eventually get a resolution, but be prepared that there are a lot of prompts, and you are going to a national Call center. One thing that might be helpful is to seek  clarification of what exactly their policy is where they “aren’t allowed to hit the button for you “what I always tell people during advocacy endeavors is that policies are just that, policies, and more importantly, that policies are not laws. Ultimately, they can make whatever policies they want, but they cannot make a policy that conflicts with a local, state, or federal law. If you could gather a little more information on what exactly the inaccessible technology is, that is, is it a kiosk? Is it part of a point-of-sale system? And send that information along to the executive board, it’s something they could take a look at, most likely. it might, if pervasive, be an issue worth, addressing with the resolution at this year‘s state convention. If you ever need any assistance on writing, and presenting a resolution, Chancy is a great resource. Lastly, and I understand this is time consuming, but I have found most helpful in a similar situation is to visit multiple post offices. That is, return to the same one at different times of day or different days of the week, and, go to other locations of the post office in your area. This has the benefit of getting clarification on how things work From more respectful and helpful staff at other locations, and, armed with that information, it is easier to proceed with advocacy or education efforts. In the short term, I would suggest that using Aira, or Be My Eyes, although, if it has anything to do with addresses or sensitive information, that would be Aira, not be my eyes, could be helpful to mitigate the problem.

I hope some of this is helpful. While I am specifically, addressing, Rachel‘s question, regarding the USPS this is definitely applicable to most advocacy situations.Essentially, clarifying the issue, research and data gathering, reaching out, and all the different nuances that those steps can include.

lastly, Mike, could you please share with us a little clarification on how, and when, you would like the New York news list to be utilized? I think Rachel‘s question is valid, and I think our members should definitely be able to approach us with concerns and questions . However, is this the venue that you would like people to use? If not, what alternative would you prefer be utilized?

 With love, hope, and determination
Heather Bird

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