[NFBF-Tampa] Reaching Out to Elected Officials

[Jim Lovell]

Congratulations Marion;
I must say that the problem is not with the “general” public, but it is with the disabled population...they will not get up out of their houses and voice their issues!
Untill we come together as a “united front” nothing will change.  
Tell me what you want me to do and where you want me to be.

Jimmy Lovell


From: Marion Gwizdala via NFBF-Tampa 
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2017 8:33 PM
To: NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List ; NFB of Florida Tampa Chapter List 
Cc: Marion Gwizdala 
Subject: [NFBF-Tampa] Reaching Out to Elected Officials

Dear All,

 

                Many of you will remember that, when I was denied access to a Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) para transit vehicle in November, the State Attorney’s office refused to prosecute the case. Their reasons were that the driver and two witnesses all asserted there was not enough room on the minivan for a third person and a guide dog, a fact I offered to disprove by loading three people and three dogs on a similar vehicle. The chief of the misdemeanor division, Greg Covington, refused to allow me this opportunity. Furthermore, he chided me by asking, “Do you know what they are saying about you?”, referring to one witness (not the plural “they” he used) who asserted in his report that I made several racial slurs, though the second passenger who was sitting closer to the door, stated he could not hear anything I said and the driver never made such an assertion. It is very telling to also know that the passenger/witness who made this statement refused to sign his testimony, perhaps because the form states it is perjury to make false statements on an official police report.

 

                I posted the story of how I was treated by the state Attorney’s office on our Harness Up blog and received a call from Andrew warren who was running for the office of State Attorney. He pledged that, should he be elected, he would diligently investigate and prosecute all such cases of discrimination. Well, Mr. Warren has been elected as the state attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit of Florida. Tomorrow Sherrill O’Brien, who serves as president of the Florida Association of Guide Dog Users (FLAGDU), as well as NAGDU Secretary, and I will meet with Andrew Warren and other leaders in his administration to discuss how the State Attorney and the National Federation of the Blind can work collaboratively to ensure that disabled people who face discrimination are treated with more dignity by law enforcement and the State Attorney’s office, as well as measures we can take to better educate the disabled community and law enforcement about the criminal laws that affirm our rights to full and equal access.

 

                I want to encourage others to take advantage of the fact that there are many newly-elected public officials – State Attorneys, Sheriffs, mayors, city council members, county commissioners, representatives, senators, and more – who have been elected because the people believe they wil do what is right and equitable to ensure that everyone has the chance to live the lives they want. The National Federation of the Blind and the National Association of Guide Dog Users are here to help you with guidance, information, and resources to make such meetings productive. If there is any way we can help you, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us!

 

Fraternally yours,

Marion Gwizdala, President

National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc. (NAGDU)

National Federation of the Blind

(813) 626-2789

President at NAGDU.ORG

 

 

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise expectations because low expectations create barriers between blind  people and our dreams. You can live the life you want! Blindness is not what holds you back.

 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
NFBF-Tampa mailing list
NFBF-Tampa at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbf-tampa_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBF-Tampa:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbf-tampa_nfbnet.org/jdolphin%40tampabay.rr.com 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2016.0.7996 / Virus Database: 4749/13735 - Release Date: 01/09/17
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbf-tampa_nfbnet.org/attachments/20170115/59038373/attachment.html>