[NFBMT] National Federation of the Blind Celebrates a Successful Washington Seminar |

[Bruce&Joy Breslauer]

This blog may be of interest to you.  Joy 

 

National Federation of the Blind Celebrates a Successful Washington Seminar

Blog Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2017

 

By: Chris Danielsen

 

With a new administration in Washington promising sweeping change, many
wonder what the prospects for legislative success are in the rapidly evolving
political

environment. Throughout our history, the National Federation of the Blind has
worked with political leaders of both parties to craft public policy that

helps blind Americans live the lives we want, and our goal is to continue to
do so. Judging by the outstanding success last week of our 

2017 Washington Seminar,

there are plenty of partners willing to work with us and champion our issues,
presenting ample and exciting opportunities to make positive change.

 

Jeannie Massay, Congressman David Young, Pam Allen and Mark Riccobono pose
for a picture during the Congressional Reception.

 

This year's Washington seminar featured an unprecedented level of involvement
by members of the United States Congress. At the Great Gathering In on
Monday,

January 30, we were addressed by US Representative Dr. Phil Roe of Tennessee,
the champion of our Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education

(AIM HE) legislation. Ten members of Congress attended our congressional
reception the next day and addressed the gathering. These included four
senators

and six members of the United States House of Representatives. Senator Jon
Tester of Montana and Senator Dean Heller of Nevada both spoke of their
determination

to see that all blind veterans, as well as other veterans with disabilities,
receive the benefit of the Space Available program and other important
benefits

that they have earned. Rep. Gregg Harper of Mississippi pledged his continued
commitment to ending the practice of paying subminimum wages to workers with

disabilities. Rep. David Young of Iowa used his turn at the podium to
announce that he would introduce our proposed 

Access Technology Affordability Act.

 

At noon on Tuesday, January 31, Federationists who were not meeting with
members of Congress on Capitol Hill turned Upper Senate Park into a rally
space,

where students spoke about the need for equal access to instructional
materials and education technology. Nearly thirty blind college and graduate
students

told their stories of struggling to complete their education in the face of
artificial barriers created by delayed or denied access to their textbooks,

inaccessible online course management systems, unusable university websites,
and other technological barriers that need not exist. Over a hundred
Federationists

gathered from across the nation pledged their support for these students. If
you were unable to attend the rally, you can still help by taking a moment

to sign the Change.org 

petition

calling on Congress and President Trump to support the 

AIM HE Act.

 

Of course, there is still the work of following up from this successful event
with members of Congress and their staff. Stay tuned for continued
developments

throughout the 115th Congress. Together, with love, hope, and determination,
we will turn our priorities into legislation that will help transform the

dreams of blind Americans into reality.

 

C2017 All Rights Reserved - Copyright 2017 NFB

 

Joy Breslauer, President

National Federation of the Blind of Montana 

Web Site: http://www.nfbofmt.org <http://www.nfbofmt.org/> 

 

Live the life you want

 

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day 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.