[NFBMT] Action Requested: Washington Seminar

Wed Feb 6 18:11:55 UTC 2019

Expanding on President Marks' post.

The Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) will provide for a refundable
tax credit for the purchase of accessible technology, the cost of which is
out of reach of most individuals.

The Greater Accessibility and Independence through Nonvisual Access
Technology (GAIN) Act will help to develop minimum accessibility requirements
for medical devices used in the home or the hospital, exercise equipment, and
home appliances.  This is not something that would be nice to have, this is
something we need.

The Disability Employment Act (DEA) will spur innovation that will increase
and enhance modern employment opportunities for people with disabilities in
the twenty-first century.

For more information, see below.

Fact Sheet: Access Technology Affordability Act (HTML)
Fact Sheet: Greater Accessibility and Independence through Nonvisual Access
Technology Act (HTML)
Fact Sheet: Disability Employment Act (HTML)

If these links don't work, please go to www.nfb.org and click on Washington
Seminar and look for the fact sheets.

When you contact your legislators, keep in mind that they already have copies
of the fact sheets.  What they want to know is how these acts would affect
your life personally.

Joy Breslauer, Public Policies Committee chair
National Federation of the Blind of Montana

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBMT <nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of president--- via NFBMT
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2019 9:03 AM
To: 'NFB of Montana Discussion List' <nfbmt at nfbnet.org>
Cc: president at nfbofmt.org
Subject: [NFBMT] Action Requested: Washington Seminar

Dear NFB-MT List,

Last week, the NFB-MT participated in the Washington Seminar, and we
positively affected the future of blind Montanans.  Please help the effort by
calling or e-mailing our Montana Congressmen to support our legislation.
Below, you will find more details on how to do this.

The Washington Seminar is the annual lobbying event of the NFB.  Each year,
the NFB chooses about three issues to present to Congress, and we advocate
for the passage of our bills.

This year, our three issues were:

. A refundable tax credit for blind tax payers who purchase assistive
technology for use at home and at work; and

. Establishing accessibility requirements for exercise equipment, home
appliances, and medical devices so that blind Americans can access items such
as treadmills, kitchen ranges, and blood pressure monitors; and,

. Re-purposing a modest percentage of existing funding for employment
supports for Americans with the most significant disabilities in order to
transform a portion of those resources from segregated subminimum jobs to
work in our communities for comparable wages and advancement opportunities.

For more details, please visit:

legislative agenda

Of course, our advocacy efforts go beyond these three items because there is
so much to do to improve the lives of our nations blind citizens.  For
example, NFB staff members called on the membership yesterday to support two
bills, one in the House and the other in the Senate, that would eliminate
subminimum wages based on disability throughout the United States.  I will
forward details on these bills in a separate e-mail.

I served as the NFB-MT delegate to the Washington Seminar, and Joy Breslauer
served as the Alternate Delegate.  Joy is the Chair of our Public Policies
Committee.  In addition, my wife, Kathy Marks, joined us for the Seminar.

We met directly with Senator John Tester, and he expressed high interest in
the disability employment initiative.  Senator Steve Daines could not meet
with us due to his schedule, but one of his staff members carried our
proposals to him.  Senator Daines serves on the Finance Committee, and this
Committee is especially important for the refundable tax credit.  We again
met with a staff member in Representative Greg Gianforte's office.
Representative Gianforte, fresh off the House floor,  briefly met with us for
a photo at the conclusion of our meeting with his staff member.

Please take the time to educate yourself on our legislative agenda, and then
e-mail or call Senators Tester and Daines as well as Representative
Gianforte.  Feel free to ask questions of Joy or me.  Here is their contact
information:

Congressman Greg Gianforte https://gianforte.house.gov
1419 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3211
Fax: (202) 225-5687
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RepGianforte/
Twitter: @GregForMontana https://twitter.com/gregformontana

Congressman Greg Gianforte Montana Offices Billings District Office: 222
North 32nd Street, Suite 900, Billings, MT
59101
Phone: (406) 969-1736

Great Falls District Office: 710 Central Avenue, Great Falls, MT 59401
Phone: (406) 952-1280

Helena District Office: 7 West 6th Avenue, Suite 3B, Helena, MT 59601
Phone: (406) 502-1435

Senator Steve Daines https://www.daines.senate.gov
320 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2651
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveDainesMT/
Twitter: @SteveDaines https://twitter.com/SteveDaines

Senator Steve Daines Montana Offices
Billings: 222 N. 32nd Street, Suite 100, Billings, MT 59101
phone: (406) 245-6822

Great Falls: 104 4th Street North, Suite. 302, Great Falls, MT 59401
phone: (406) 453-0148

Helena: 30 West 14th Street, Suite. 206, Helena, MT 59601
phone: (406) 443-3189

Bozeman: 13 S. Willson Ave. Suite. 8, Bozeman, MT 59715
phone: (406) 587-3446

Missoula: 218 East Front Street, Suite. 103, Missoula, MT 59802
phone: (406) 549-8198

Kalispell: 40 2nd St East, Suite 211, (KM Building), Kalispell, Montana
59901
phone: (406) 257-3765

Sidney: 609 S. Central Ave. Suite #4,  (Central Plaza Building), Sidney, MT,
59270
phone: (406) 482-9010

Hardin: 310 N Center,  Hardin MT 59034
phone: (406) 665-4126

Senator Jon tester https://tester.senate.gov/
311 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-2604
Phone: (202) 224-2644
Fax: (202) 224-8594
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/senatortester/
Twitter: @senatortester https://twitter.com/SenatorTester

Senator Jon Tester Montana Offices
Billings: Judge Jameson Federal Building, 2900 4th Ave N, Suite 201,
Billings, MT 59101
Phone: (406) 252-0550
Fax: (406) 252-7768

Bozeman: Avant Courier Building, 1 E Main Street, Suite 202, Bozeman, MT
59715
Phone: (406) 586-4450
Fax: (406) 586-7647

Butte: Silver Bow Center, 125 W Granite, Suite 200, Butte, MT 59701
Phone: (406) 723-3277
Fax: (406) 782-4717

Glendive: 122 W Towne, Glendive, MT 59330
Phone: (406) 365-2391
Fax: (406) 365-8836

Great Falls: 119 1st Avenue N, Suite 102, Great Falls, MT 59401
Phone: (406) 452-9585
Fax: (406) 452-9586

Helena: Capital One Center, 208 N Montana Avenue, Suite 202, Helena, MT
59601
Phone: (406) 449-5401
Fax: (406) 449-5462

Kalispell: l8 Third Street E, Kalispell, MT 59901
Phone: (406) 257-3360
Fax: (406) 257-3974

Missoula: 130 W Front Street,, Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: (406) 728-3003
Fax: (406) 728-2193

Jim Marks
President, National Federation of the Blind of Montana president at nfbofmt.org
(406) 438-1421

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