[NFBMD] Letter Writing

[Sharon Maneki]

Hello all,

This is the first of three emails that I will send you, it is now time to
write letters for our bills. SB802: electronic ballot return and SB1091:
textbook equity act for blind students. The house bills are HB775 voting
and HB1076: textbook and equity act for blind students. We must write to
the senator and delegates from your county that I will send in the second
and third email. Twice, once for each bill. You can say something like
this...

Dear Senator or Delegate,
Please vote in favor of the amended HB775. A bill that will give blind and
print disabled citizens the right to an electronic ballot return. This
group of citizens is being denied the secret ballot and their right to vote
privately. The bill balances security concerns because it proposes that the
disabled person receive a thumb drive from the board of elections that they
can vote their choice on. The drive which contains the ballot will be
returned to the County in the specific envelope that was sent by the
County. The county will use a standalone computer that is used for nothing
else to print the ballot. Which can then be scanned just as other ballots
are scanned. It is time to give civil rights to the blind. Please vote Yes
for this bill.

Here is what you can say for HB1076
Please help blind students by supporting HB1076. Blind K-12 students have a
problem getting their textbooks on time and some do not get them at all.
The bill solves this problem by requiring that the State Department of
Education pay for the cost of transcribing the book into braille. The
students are not receiving an equitable education because their County
cannot pay this cost. The State Department of Education has a
responsibility to make sure that every Student in Maryland receives an
equitable education. Therefore, they should take responsibility for
transcribing these books. They will only pay when the instructional
resource center does not have the book or it cannot be located in other
states. Please vote in favor of this important bill.

You may add your personal story or experience. These letters must be to the
delegates and senators before Friday March 1st.

*Sharon Maneki, Director of Legislation and Advocacy*
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
410-715-9596

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland knows that blindness is
not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Everyday we raise
the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.
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