[NFBP-Talk] Please read this wonderful article written by our own Lisa Bryant

[Jan Lattuca]

Emily, thanks for sharing this with us.  What a great article!!!

Jan

On 3/11/21, Emily Gindlesperger via NFBP-Talk <nfbp-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Meeting with legislators is ‘the only way things will be addressed’ for
> blind and visually impaired citizens
> Congressman Dwight Evans confirms he will co-sponsor the Access Technology
> Affordability Act — one of four legislative acts the National Federation of
> the Blind has on its priority list for 2021.
>  By Lisa Bryant / CONTRIBUTOR
>
> Each year hundreds of people with white canes and guide dogs descend on the
> Capitol for what is known as Washington Seminar. Since 1973, the National
> Federation of the Blind (NFB) has led its members to face to face meetings
> with their respective congressmen, where they present the group’s
> legislative priorities of the year.
>
>
> The NFB President determines the priorities that would most affect its more
> than 50,000 members nationwide. In pre-pandemic days, meetings were crunched
> within a 2–3-day period in January or February. With this year’s virtual
> platform, meetings extended throughout the month of February. The
> Pennsylvania affiliate is meeting with Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon later
> this month.
>
> “In some ways we had a lot more flexibility this year,” said Emily
> Gindlesperger, the legislative director for the NFB of Pennsylvania.
> Gindlesperger has coordinated the Pennsylvania meetings for the past 10
> years.
>
> As the mother of a blind teenager and visually impaired herself, getting in
> front of lawmakers is a personal labor of love for Gindlesperger. Angelina,
> her 15-year-old daughter has also been an active participant since she was
> about 10 years old.
>
>
>
> The NFB’s 2021 priorities are:
>
> The Access Technology Affordability Act. First introduced last year, this
> act would provide a refundable $2,000 tax credit to be used within a
> three-year period. This bill would help offset the high costs for assistive
> software and devices which are not typically covered by insurance.
> The Medical Devices Nonvisual Accessibility Act seeks a uniform
> accessibility standard for home medical devices. The initiative requests
> that the Food and Drug Administration lead the charge, collaborating with
> manufacturers and people with disabilities
> The 21st Century Mobile Apps and Website Accessibility Act would strengthen
> current federal accessibility guidelines. It would also empower the
> Department of Justice to investigate complaints.
> The Americans With Disabilities Voting Rights Actaddresses all inaccessible
> aspects of the voting process. Among other recommendations, the Act would
> require accessible machines for in-person voting. It also recommends
> electronic voting registration and balloting.
>
>
> Ideally the group secures sponsorship from the chair of the committee
> overseeing the act. From there, NFB members push for as many cosponsors as
> possible. The more cosponsors an act  receives, the easier it moves out of
> committee and to the full house.
>
> Considering the backdrop of the January 6 raid on the Capital, the
> impeachment trial and a pandemic that put staff in a myriad of remote
> locations, the Pennsylvania team secured meetings with the offices of 16 of
> the 18 Pennsylvania representatives. They also met with aides from both
> Senators Pat Toomey and Bob Casey.
>
> Efforts are already paying off. The Access Technology Act has been assigned
> a bill number in the House, while a Senate version was introduced during the
> Seminar.
>
> Congressman Dwight Evans’ office has met with NFB members for several years
> and said, “I’m pleased to continue working with NFB Philadelphia members —
> it’s important to me to hear about their needs and priorities.” Evans
> confirmed he will co-sponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act.
>
> Esther Gillyard is new to the NFB and attended her first seminar. She lost
> her sight in 2015 while a student at Temple University. Now a mother, she
> shared her experience of having to withdraw from school due to the lack of
> accommodations, and the challenges of being a blind parent.
>
> Gillyard hopes her story dispels any generalizations about the blind
> community. “I think it’s really important that they hear other perspectives.
> That’s the only way things will get addressed,” she said.
>
> The scheduling process is hectic and changes at a second’s notice but
> Gindlesperger believes it is well worth the time.
>
> “If they don’t hear it from us, they won’t hear our passion and our needs.
> There’s no one else better to tell our story but us,” she said.
>
>
>
> https://generocity.org/philly/2021/03/08/meeting-with-legislators-is-the-only-way-things-will-be-addressed-for-blind-and-visually-impaired-citizens/
>
>
>
> Thank you
>
>
> Emily W. Gindlesperger
> 2nd Vice President
> Legislative Director
> National Federation of the Blind Of Pennsylvania
>
>
>
>
> Please note that all or any portion of this message may have been dictated
> using speech to text technology. Do not hesitate to request clarification if
> necessary.
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>