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

Sat Apr 21 04:46:39 UTC 2012

Chuck, 
When an email is sent through an automated distribution system such as this,
is there any indication to the recipient that that was how it was sent? 
If it looks like a message sent directly from the member's email address,
and we have the ability to personalize as much as we want too, several of my
concerns have been addressed. 
I would then have two questions. 
One, can members choose to send the same message to a specified several
lawmakers at once I.E. a single lawmaker, the members of a given committee,
or the body as a whole?  
Two, what is the cost of implementing such a system? 

	You and Dave both have solid points. To the extent that I am
coordinating the legislative efforts here in California I would never allow
a system such as this to take the place of good old fashioned phone calls
and visits to the capitol. On the other hand, based on what you have said,
if used correctly it could be a very helpful compliment to those efforts.

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 9:24 PM
To: NFB of California List
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Fw: Legislative Alert - Urgent Action Needed
Regarding Braille Instruction for Blind Students

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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>>>>
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>>>
>>>--
>>>Follow me on Twitter @dandrews920
>
>
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