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Hi Friends,<br>
<br>
Next week, we need everyone to mobilize for the TEACH Act! From Monday
through Friday, we will run a Republican Blitz, where everybody contacts
the Republican members of Congress from their state delegation and urges
them to cosponsor the TEACH Act, H.R. 3505 and S. 2060. The goal is to
get a huge influx of cosponsors. <br>
<br>
This is a pivotal time. The TEACH Act is non-controversial, but the
upcoming elections will limit our opportunities to pass the bill this
Congress. We truly believe this bill has a chance, so we are going to
take a real shot at trying to get this done. Consequently, we’re planning
an important meeting with a higher education association to bring the
schools on board, and then plan to meet with the Chairman of the
Education and Workforce Committee to explore about our options. We want
to go into that meeting with the most cosponsors as possible,
particularly from the majority party. Currently, H.R. 3505 has forty-two,
with fifteen Republicans, twenty-seven Democrats. If we can get thirteen
more Republicans we will be at fifty-five cosponsors and have an
almost-even twenty-eight/twenty-seven breakdown. S. 2060 just got two new
cosponsors, Senators Bennet and Ayotte. We are at an even two and two
(for a total of four) and even though the Democrats are the majority
party in the Senate, we already have a few waiting in the wings. We want
to keep it even and won’t send them on until we secure a few more
Republicans. Let’s build on this momentum! <br>
<br>
A few things to note:<br>
1) This is a BLITZ. That means we need lots
of people to send lots of emails, not just one or two people. Even if
it’s not your member of Congress, if they are a Republican in your state
delegation, email them! Let’s make it a digital version of the Washington
Seminar, but just limited to the Republican offices. <br>
2) Send your correspondence to the
education staffer. If you don’t know who the education staffer is, just
call the office and ask, or shoot me an email. <br>
3) Know your audience. Some things are
universal to advocacy, like telling your personal story and explaining
what the bill does, but the points you emphasize to a Democrat might not
be the best points to emphasize to a Republican. For the TEACH Act, it’s
best to emphasize how the guidelines are voluntary, that we are trying to
help schools better comply with the law and avoid litigation, which in
turn helps blind students, and that the industry supports the bill. <br>
4) Personalize your letters. Offices know a
block/form letter when they see one. I’ve provided a sample letter below,
but please make edits before sending. If you’re from a state where a
particular school has faced a lawsuit related to this, add it in. If
another Republican from your state has cosponsored, mention it. <br>
5) Feel free to tweet or call, but in
addition to emails rather than as a substitute. Some sample tweets:
“Blind students need access to materials, help spur the market! Cosponsor
the #TEACHAct” or “Blind students are being left behind and schools are
being sued. The #TEACHAct is an easy fix. Will you cosponsor?” or “When
blind students get to college, we need books. Publishers support the
#TEACHAct, do you?” or “Congressman X and Congressman X have cosponsored
the #TEACHAct. Join your delegation!” or even “Support Mr. Petri before
he retires by cosponsoring #TEACHAct, a bill that improves access for the
blind in higher ed!” <br>
<br>
I’ll be sending out reminders periodically next week. I hope everyone can
help us reach our goal and we can increase the chances of passing the
TEACH Act. Let’s face it, not only is the bill non-controversial, but
blind students cannot afford to wait. Thanks guys!<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
Lauren <br>
<br>
Sample letter:<br>
<br>
Hello [Education Staffer’s first name],<br>
<br>
I am writing on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind of [your
affiliate]. We last met with your office in January to discuss our
legislative agenda, and one of those bills was the Technology, Education
and Accessibility in College and Higher Education (TEACH) Act, H.R.
3505/S.2060. It has been a few months so I wanted to circle back and ask
that Congressman/Congresswoman [Name] will come on as a cosponsor. The
bill is non-controversial and bipartisan – can we count on [his/her]
support?<br>
<br>
A quick reminder: Inaccessible educational technology is creating
profound barriers to education for students with disabilities. The TEACH
Act authorizes the creation of voluntary accessibility guidelines for
instructional material so that those materials are usable by students
with print disabilities, and then incentivizes schools to use technology
that conforms to the guidelines with a safe harbor from litigation. The
goal of the guidelines is to facilitate the equal access mandates that
require schools to use accessible materials by stimulating the creation
of a viable digital marketplace. By facilitating the national mandate and
the national market, we can provide equal access for blind students
without infringing on states’ rights. This bill is appealing to those on
both sides of the aisle, is endorsed by a major industry group, and is
supported by data from a Congressionally-authorized study. The TEACH Act
does not create any new liability for schools or create any mandates on
technology companies, and reduces costs and litigation while still making
systemic change for blind students. [H.R. 3505/S. 2060] is sponsored by
[Tom Petri in the House/our Republican leader is Orrin Hatch] – will your
boss join them as a cosponsor? <br>
<br>
Over 160,000 people, many from our state, have signed this petition on
Change.org,
<a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/pass-teach-act-equal-access-to-educational-materials-for-students-with-disabilities" eudora="autourl">
http://www.change.org/petitions/pass-teach-act-equal-access-to-educational-materials-for-students-with-disabilities</a>
, showing widespread support for this modest approach to a disgraceful
problem. Blind students can’t afford to wait, so please let me know if
there are questions. For more information, please visit
<a href="https://nfb.org/TEACH" eudora="autourl">https://nfb.org/TEACH</a>
. Thanks, hope to hear from you!<br>
<br>
Sincerely,<br>
[Your name]<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Lauren McLarney<br>
</b>Government Affairs Specialist<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
200 East Wells Street<br>
Baltimore, MD 21230<br>
410.659.9314 ext. 2207<br>
LMcLarney@nfb.org<br><br>
<i>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 have the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.<br>
</i> <br>
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