[Nfbc-info] Fw: Legislative Alert - Urgent Action Needed Regarding Braille Instruction for Blind Students

Sat Apr 21 04:23:33 UTC 2012

Actually the opinion that I gleaned is not from one email but from several 
years of membership. Yes as all politics is local face-to-face meetings are 
very important with legislators and staffers and as a political activist I 
have spent many hours over the years meetin with such people. However, the 
issue is the need for change and the ability to be able to account for what 
we do which is much easier to do through a web based electronic format that 
quantifies such interactions. Legislative staffers unfortunately say that 
hand-written letters actually cause substantial demands on staff and 
unfortunately cause increased security concerns since 9/11 and subsequent 
anthrax scares and the like. It is unfortunate that such factors even have 
to enter in to the legislative process but they do. The other issue is the 
ease for electronic communications through the NFB to legislators by our 
members which is something we need to consider. As I said it is important to 
look at what other disability organizations effectively do in their lobbying 
efforts.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
To: "NFB of California List" <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 7:46 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Fw: Legislative Alert - Urgent Action Needed 
Regarding Braille Instruction for Blind Students


> At the risk of being defensive .... you are certainly drawing conclusions 
> about the NFB and making generalizations based on one e-mail.
>
> I agree that what we do will have to change with the times -- 
> although that doesn't mean we stop doing what we have been doing.  We may 
> want to add to it, but I have to believe that individual letters, written 
> by constituents is more effective than mass-produced e-mails and faxes 
> from a web site.  I have read that Congressional offices just count them. 
> That doesn't mean we shouldn't do that -- but as has been said, politics 
> is always local, so we must reach out to our congressmen and senators. 
> Our record is second to none in the disability community.
>
> Dave
>
> \At 01:11 PM 4/20/2012, you wrote:
>>Working within the political system I know that they do pay attention to 
>>mass generated letters and faxes. your condescending tone is not 
>>appreciated here. Perhaps this smug attitude is what gets in to the way of 
>>the image that is generated by the NFB at times. When it comes to 
>>political advocacy it is no longer the 1950's. Perhaps it is time to 
>>inquire what other disability advocacy organizations are successfully 
>>doing. It is also time to think about the time spent by members on 
>>activities and how to most effectively utilize that time. In other words, 
>>my time as a professional is valuable and as an organization you need to 
>>do more to recognize that and insure that my time spent is going to most 
>>effectively be used. Considering that I will take the time to respond to 
>>an opportunity to submit an electronic letter about 1 minute rather than 
>>the approximately 10 minutes to write a personalized email or letter.
>>Chuck Krugman
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>>To: "NFB of California List" <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 9:37 AM
>>Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Fw: Legislative Alert - Urgent Action Needed 
>>RegardingBraille Instruction for Blind Students
>>
>>
>>>And how much attention do you think they pay to "mass generated" letters 
>>>and faxes?
>>>
>>>Dave
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>On 4/19/2012 9:47 PM, DrV wrote:
>>>>Have you email Jesse with the suggestion?
>>>>
>>>>On 4/19/12 6:57 PM, "ckrugman at sbcglobal.net"<ckrugman at sbcglobal.net>
>>>>wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Now if the NFB followed the course of other organizations and had taken
>>>>>the
>>>>>advice that I had given over the past few years and explored a web 
>>>>>based
>>>>>advocacy system letters could be automatically faxed or emailed to the
>>>>>appropriate Senators to have them sign on and probably get a much 
>>>>>higher
>>>>>response rate. The technology is out there and NFB staff are paid to
>>>>>investigate features as this to promote the organization it is now time
>>>>>to
>>>>>come in to the 21st century.
>>>>>Chuck
>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>From: "Mary Willows"<mwillows at sbcglobal.net>
>>>>>To: "NFB of California List"<nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2012 5:45 PM
>>>>>Subject: [Nfbc-info] Fw: Legislative Alert - Urgent Action Needed
>>>>>RegardingBraille Instruction for Blind Students
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Hello All:
>>>>>>The following is ergent.  We have been trying to make progress in the
>>>>>>effort
>>>>>>to get braille instructions for our children.  Here is our opportunity
>>>>>>to
>>>>>>help further the cause.  Please read and take immediate action.
>>>>>>The following message comes from Jesse Hartle, 
>>>>>>LegistlationCoordinator.
>>>>>>jhartle at nfb.org
>>>>>>>Fellow Federationists:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I am writing to inform you of a Dear Colleague letter that was
>>>>>>>circulated
>>>>>>>yesterday by Senators Murray, Boozman, and Harkin related to the
>>>>>>>instruction of Braille for blind students.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>We have been working with Senator Murray on this issue, and are 
>>>>>>>excited
>>>>>>>that the letter was released for other Senators to sign onto in
>>>>>>>support.
>>>>>>>As you know many blind students are not receiving Braille instruction
>>>>>>>today, despite the language contained in the Individuals with
>>>>>>>Disabilities
>>>>>>>Education Act (IDEA), which states that Braille will be the primary
>>>>>>>reading media for blind students.  Senator Murray will hold her 
>>>>>>>letter
>>>>>>>open through Friday, April 27, for other senators to sign onto, and
>>>>>>>then
>>>>>>>she will send the letter to the Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Attached is a copy of the Dear Colleague letter that was circulated.
>>>>>>>We
>>>>>>>are asking you to contact your senators and urge them to join with
>>>>>>>Senators Murray and Boozman in support of instruction of Braille for
>>>>>>>blind
>>>>>>>students.  Also attached is a state-by-state list of contacts for 
>>>>>>>this
>>>>>>>issue.  Please note that Republican offices should contact Ian Prince
>>>>>>>in
>>>>>>>Senator Boozman's office, while Democrats should be directed to Jake
>>>>>>>Cornett in Senator Murray's office.  We are pleased that Chairman
>>>>>>>Harkin
>>>>>>>of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 
>>>>>>>and
>>>>>>>Senator Mikulski of Maryland have already joined as cosigners of the
>>>>>>>Dear
>>>>>>>Colleague letter.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Please contact me with any questions you may have.  Thank you all in
>>>>>>>advance for your work on this important issue for blind students.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Jesse
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Jesse Hartle
>>>>>>>National Federation of the Blind
>>>>>>>Government Programs Specialist
>>>>>>>Phone: 410-659-9314, Ext. 2233
>>>>>>>Email: jhartle at nfb.org
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>-------
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>>>NFBAffiliatePresidents mailing list
>>>>>>>NFBAffiliatePresidents at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbaffiliatepresidents_nfbnet.org
>>>>>
>>>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>------
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>_______________________________________________
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>
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