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<p class="MsoNormal">Dear Federation Family,<span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you to all who made calls and sent emails to your United States Senators this week. Because of our efforts, H.R. 3935 passed the Senate on May 9, 2024, with all of the accessibility provisions intact, by an overwhelming majority.
This is great news, but the job is not done yet. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for final consideration.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We need your help by contacting your members in the House of Representatives urging them to vote in favor of H.R. 3935, keeping in these important accessibility provisions for blind and disabled air travelers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These provisions include training requirements for assisting passengers with disabilities, better access standards for the accessibility of in-flight entertainment, and improved access to airline websites. Additionally, the bill initiates
a pilot program for air passengers to register their service animal, eliminating the need to complete the service animal forms for each flight. Therefore, we are asking you to contact your Representative in the House, either by phone or by email, to urge them
to maintain the disability related portions of the bill while being considered by the House of Representatives. Given that the House is likely to vote on this by the end of next week, it would be most beneficial to contact your Representative’s office before
Friday, May 17. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When you call or email, you might say the following:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent of [REPRESENTATIVE NAME]. I live in [CITY, STATE]. I would like to urge [REPRESENTATIVE NAME] to maintain the accessibility-related provisions of H.R 3935 as it moves through the House
of Representatives. These provisions in the legislation will help increase the accessibility of air travel for blind and disabled passengers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If applicable, feel free to personalize your message with a recent disability barrier you experienced while traveling.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You can contact your Representative by calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for the office in question. The number is 202-224-3121. The contact information for all House of Representatives offices is also in the attached spreadsheet.
The members on the spreadsheet are organized in alphabetical order by last name. If you send an email to your Representative’s office, please copy me at
<a href="mailto:jyoung@nfb.org">jyoung@nfb.org</a> on the email. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you for all that you do,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Justin T. Young, Ed.D</span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Government Affairs Specialist, National Federation of the Blind</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230 </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">410-659-9314, extension 2210 |
<a href="mailto:jyoung@nfb.org"><span style="color:blue">jyoung@nfb.org</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://nfb.org/"><span style="color:blue;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="210" height="76" style="width:2.1833in;height:.7916in" id="_x0000_i1028" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/nfblogo.png" alt="National Federation of the Blind"></span></a> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind">
<span style="color:blue;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" style="width:.25in;height:.25in" id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/facebook.png" alt="Facebook"></span></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice"><span style="color:blue;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" style="width:.25in;height:.25in" id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/twitter.png" alt="Twitter"></span></a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind"><span style="color:blue;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" style="width:.25in;height:.25in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/youtube.png" alt="Youtube"></span></a> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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