[NFB-NM] Legislative Alert: Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act

[Tara Chavez]

Please see the below information from our Governmental Affairs Team. For
your convenience, I have pasted our Legislative staff below the text of the
below message.

 

Dear Federation Family:

 

Thanks to everyone's hard work the bipartisan
<https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/2984?q=%7B%22searc
h%22%3A%22duckworth%22%7D&s=2&r=1> Websites and Software Applications
Accessibility Act (S. 2984 /H.R. 5813) was introduced in both the Senate and
the House of Representatives yesterday. This is a culmination of your
advocacy beginning with Washington Seminar, and up to now. The Senate bill
was introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, and the House bill
was introduced by Representative John Sarbanes of Maryland. You can read
more about the introduction of the bill in Senator Duckworth
<https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/press-releases/duckworth-sarbanes-ses
sions-reintroduce-bicameral-bipartisan-legislation-to-help-make-websites-and
-software-applications-accessible-for-americans-with-disabilities> 's
official press release. Senator Warren and Senator Markey have cosponsored
the Senate bill and Representative Pete Sessions cosponsored the House bill.


 

After years of advocacy, we are proud to have champions like Senator
Duckworth and Representative Sarbanes, but the real challenge has only just
begun. Now we have to shift our focus towards building support for the
legislation in order to get it through the committees, onto the floor of the
Senate and the House, and ultimately passed by both Chambers, to the desk of
the president. This is where your advocacy, as blind constituents from every
state in the Union who will benefit from the requirements of this
legislation, is more important than ever. Please call and email your
senators and representatives and ask them to cosponsor the Websites and
Software Applications Accessibility Act today!

 

When you call or email you might say something like:

 

"Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent of
[SENATOR/REPRESENTATIVE NAME]. I live in [CITY, STATE]. I would like to urge
[SENATOR/REPRESENTATIVE NAME] to cosponsor the Websites and Software
Applications Accessibility Act, [S. 2984/H.R. 5813]. This legislation would
ensure that blind and disabled Americans can have the same opportunity to
independently access websites and applications as our non-disabled peers.

Thanks." 

 

You can contact your member of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard
and asking for the office in question. The number is 202-224-3121. We have
also attached a contact list for Senate and House offices to this email. The
lists are organized alphabetically by state, followed by the name of the
member of Congress, then the staff member name, then the staff member
contact email. If you contact your senator or representative via email,
please copy Jeff Kaloc at jkaloc at nfb.org <mailto:jkaloc at nfb.org> . Your
calls and emails do make a difference.

 

Inaccessible websites and applications are a barrier and prevent us from
living the lives we want. They prevent us from getting the education,
employment, and independence that we desire. This is why our advocacy for
this bill is so important. 

 

 

 

New Mexico:

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez

Contact Elizabeth Arevalo at elizabeth.arevalo at mail.house.gov
<mailto:elizabeth.arevalo at mail.house.gov> 

Rep. Melanie Stansbury

Contact Ian Fluellen at ian.fluellen at mail.house.gov
<mailto:ian.fluellen at mail.house.gov> 

Rep. Gabe Vasquez

Contact Austin Yager at austin.yager at mail.house.gov
<mailto:austin.yager at mail.house.gov> 

Sen. Ben Ray Lujan

Contact Graham Mason at graham_mason at lujan.senate.gov
<mailto:graham_mason at lujan.senate.gov> 

Sen. Martin Heinrich

Contact Dominic Saavedra at dominic_saavedra at heinrich.senate.gov
<mailto:dominic_saavedra at heinrich.senate.gov> 

 

Thank you for calling and emailing our elected officials to get our
legislative priorities passed.

 

 

 

Tara Chavez, President

National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico

 <mailto:NFBNM.President at gmail.com> NFBNM.President at gmail.com

(505) 328-3349

Live the life you want.

 <http://www.nfbnm.org/> www.nfbnm.org

 

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day we work
together to help blind people live the lives they want.

 <http://www.nfb.org/> www.nfb.org

 

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