[NFB-NM] FW: Please assist in gaining support for Legislative Priorities discussed at Washington Seminar.

[nfbnewmexicosecretary at gmail.com]

Best wishes,
 
Tonia Trapp, secretary
National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico
 
From: Tara Chavez
Sent: Saturday, April 9, 2022 11:07 PM
Subject: Please assist in gaining support for Legislative Priorities
discussed at Washington Seminar.
 
Greetings NFBNM Members and Friends:
 
During the week of February 7 through February 11, several members from our
affiliate virtually attended Washington Seminar. We met with staff from all
five of our Representatives and Senators in Congress. On Tuesday February
eighth, we met with the offices of Senators Ray-Lujan and Heinrich. On
Wednesday, we met with Congresswomen Fernandez, Herell and Stansbury. We
discussed our four Legislative Priorities which are outlined below.
•Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 431/S. 212)
The cost of critically needed access technology is out of reach for most
blind Americans.
The Access Technology Affordability Act will improve affordability of
critically needed access technology necessary for employment and independent
living.
•Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (H.R. 4853)
Advanced digital interfaces create barriers that prevent blind individuals
from independently and safely operating home-use medical devices that are
essential to their daily healthcare needs. The Medical Device Nonvisual
Accessibility Act will end unequal access to home-use medical devices for
blind Americans.
•Twenty-First Century Websites & Applications Accessibility Act
Websites are required by law to be accessible, but without implementing
regulations most businesses and retailers have little understanding of what
accessible means. The Twenty-First Century Websites and Applications
Accessibility Act will end website and mobile application inaccessibility
for blind Americans.
•Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (H.R. 2373/S. 3238)
Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 permits employers to
pay people with disabilities at a rate less than the federal minimum wage
and, in many cases, separated from their coworkers without disabilities. The
Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act will end this
antiquated and discriminatory practice for all Americans with disabilities.
 
Attached to this are the fact sheets for the four priorities which provide
more specific information on the legislation.
I urge everyone to contact our Representatives and Senators to ask them to
cosponsor the bills which have already been introduced. I also urge everyone
to ask them to consider being a champion for us in sponsoring the
Twenty-First Century Website and Applications Accessibility Act. I am
providing the phone numbers to our Representatives and Senators offices as
well as the email addresses for the staff we met with at Washington Seminar.
If you contact by email, please put John Pare’s email in the ‘CC field. I am
including sample language you can use when calling or emailing our Senators
and Representatives. The more we contact individually, the bigger impact we
will have because of our personal stories.
***sample language***
Hello, My name is [your name]. I live in [city], New Mexico. I am a
constituent of Representative/Senator name. I would like to urge
Representative/Senator name to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability
Act (H.R. 431/S. 212). This legislation removes an employment barrier
commonly experienced by blind Americans who cannot afford the high cost of
access technology by creating a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2000
to offset the cost of this technology. Ad your personal story here.
 
 
***Contact information for Members of Congress in New Mexico***
 
Senator Martin Heinrich
Phone: 202-224-5521
Email: Carly <mailto:CarlyChampagne at Heinrich.senate.gov>
_Champagne at Heinrich.senate.gov
 
Senator Ben Ray-Luján
Phone: 202-224-6621
Email: Calli_Shapiro at Lujan.senate.gov
<mailto:Calli_Shapiro at Lujan.senate.gov>  
 
Representative Melanie Stansbury, District 1
Phone: 202-225-6316
Email: Ian.Fluellen at mail.house.gov <mailto:Ian.Fluellen at mail.house.gov>  
 
Representative Yvette Herell, District 2
Phone: 202-225-2365
Email: Cole.Gibson at mail.house.gov <mailto:Cole.Gibson at mail.house.gov>   
 
Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez, District 3
Phone: 202-225-6190
Email: Elizabeth.Arevalo at mail.house.gov
<mailto:Elizabeth.Arevalo at mail.house.gov> 
 
Please let me know if you have any questions.
 
Thank you for helping to gain support for the issues that matter to blind
Americans.
 
Sincerely,
Tara Chavez
Legislative Director
2nd Vice-President
National Federation of the Blind New Mexico (NFBNM)
505-328-3349
tmatzick06 at gmail.com <mailto:tmatzick06 at gmail.com> 
 
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