[Nfbf-l] Florida Legislative Alert: ATAA and Congressman Buchanan

[Merry Schoch]

>> Good Morning Denise:
>>  
>> John Pare had a meeting with Congressman Buchanan’s Chief of Staff Sean Brady this week to discuss ATAA (HR 1734). This would be an excellent opporutnity for Florida members especially those in his district (Saratoga) to follow up with both his DC and District office. Below is the contact information for Buchanan’s offices along with some suggested language.
>>  
>> Sean Brady, Chief of Staff
>> Tel: (202) 225-5015
>> sean.brady at mail.house.gov
>>  
>> Doug DeWysocki, Jr., Field Rep
>> Tel: (941) 951-6643
>> doug.dewysocki at mail.house.gov
>>  
>> Below is a short sample ask that your members could use:
>>  
>> “My name is [name] and I am a constituent of Representative Buchanan. I am writing to let the Congressman know that I support the Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1734) and ask that he do the same. This bill will remove employment barriers for blind Americans and allow me to be a part of the growing economy. I’ve summarized how ATAA will help me succeed in my pursuit of education and live independently:
>>  
>> ATAA makes blind people job ready
>> We asked blind people what is their biggest barrier to employment and the answer was not lack of education or lack of training, but the need for access technology. (attached). Since blind people are unable to use conventional office equipment, we need access technology to perform most jobs. Unfortunately, access technology is very expensive. For this reason, we are asking for a refundable tax credit to offset the cost to make them more affordable. Furthermore, the job application process has changed so that they must be completed online. Therefore, blind people now need access technology even before they have a job in order to apply for work.
>>  
>> ATAA saves the government money
>> The National Federation of the Blind estimates the total net savings to the United States Government to be $9,773,339 annually. (Attached). This is conservatively based upon fewer blind people drawing from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), along with increased payroll tax revenue totaling $46,736,229, offset against annual costs of $36,962,890 for the credit itself.
>>  
>> Thank you for your support of blind Americans.
>>  
>> Sincerely,
>> [Your Name]”
>>  
>>