[NFBF-Tampa] Meeting with Senator Nelsons Regional Director

Sat Mar 17 23:24:32 UTC 2018

Dear federationist,

On Monday, March 19, Merry Schoch, Marion Gwizdala, Sherrill O'Brien, Miranda Kilby, and I will meet with Senator Bill Nelson’s Regional Director for Hillsborough County, Digna Alvarez, at Senator Nelson’s Tampa office. You are all welcomed to join us at the meeting. We will meet with her at the Crystal Bay Café in our county courthouse on Monday, March 19 at 2 PM. Set pick back up at for 4 PM. 

At Hillsborough county court house Crystal, bay Cafe 

800 e twiggs ST

We will have lunch at 1 Pm to go over the following. Please read all attachments. We will be reminding her about our opposition to the ADA Education and Reform Act (H.R. 620), asking the senator to oppose this bill. We need to give her current, real-life examples of how this bill would dramatically weaken our civil rights.

Please urge her to urge the Senator to oppose H.R. 620, the ADA Education, and Reform Act of 2017. If passed, this legislation will dramatically weaken the ADA, hindering education, employment, and community participation for all people with disabilities. The bill prevents people with disabilities from filing a lawsuit regarding an ADA violation until the person first notifies the violator. The violator then has 60 days to respond and then has another 120 days to remedy the problem, for a total delay of 180 days.

         Does it make sense to wait 180 days for accessible instructional material? By then, the class will be over. How about waiting 180 days for an accessible job application? By then the job will be filled. How about waiting 180 days at the doctor’s office for an accessible check in kiosk? Furthermore, this legislation will do nothing to stop so called frivolous lawsuits, which will still be valid under state law. Businesses do not need more time to comply with the ADA they have had twenty-seven years already. Here are some brief points: (1) the ADA was enacted in 1990, so covered entities have had ample time to learn about and comply with the law. (2) The ADA already contains an “undue burden” provision to protect covered entities when the costs of making facilities accessible are too high. (3) Title III of the ADA (which applies to public accommodations) does not allow monetary damages for noncompliance.

The National Federation of the Blind has joined with 216 other allied civil rights organizations in opposing this bill. You can read our joint letter attached. If you want to know how this bill would affect us, consider internet access guaranteed under the ADA and our as just one example.

We need to let her know we are unified on these issues and demonstrate the strength of the NFB making sure that we have not been forgotten. We must meet our members of Congress wherever and whenever they appear. We must continue to demand our civil rights, the right to access information in a timely fashion, the right to pursue our educational goals without inaccessible technology holding us back, and the right to literacy through Braille. I intend to keep up the pressure and I hope you will join me in that effort. 

We also need to urge her to urge Senator Nelson to please sign the letter written from Senator Duckworth that is attached.

We will also need to invite Senator Nelson or Ms. Alvarez to speak at our state convention. It is election year for the Senator; it would be great if he would come and address our state convention!

Please ask for the Senator's Business Card so that you can follow up. 

Please come dressed too impressed like if you were dressed for Washington Seminar. See you all at the meeting!

Jeanette Torres

From: NFBF-Tampa [mailto:nfbf-tampa-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Merry Schoch via NFBF-Tampa
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2018 4:20 PM
To: 'NFB of Florida Tampa Chapter List' <nfbf-tampa at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Merry Schoch <merrys at verizon.net>
Subject: [NFBF-Tampa] Meeting with Senator Nelsons Regional Director

Dear Tampa Bay chapter members,

I would like to first thank Jeanette Torres for her commitment and dedication to legislative efforts for the National Federation of the Blind of Florida.  Jeanette was instrumental in setting up our appointment with Ms. Alvarez who is  Senator Nelson’s Regional Director. We will meet with her at the Crystal Bay Café in our county courthouse on Monday, March 19th.    The chapter will receive a full report of the meeting when we gather for our chapter meeting on March 24th.

We will also invite Senator Nelson or Ms. Alvarez to speak at our state convention.  It is election year for the Senator; it would be great if he would come and address our state convention!

See you all then!

Warmly,

Merry

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