[NFBV-Alexandria] FW: Town Hall Meeting with Alexandria Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind

Wed Aug 2 18:50:10 UTC 2017

Good afternoon members of the GAC,

I just wanted to share the below email I sent to vice-mayor Wilson. I should
thank all of you as well for making this such a successful event. I think it
is a good start toward raising awareness of who we are and what we are
about. 

Thanks all for being there and for your contributions to a great chapter
meeting.

Sincerely,

Brian Miller

President

The Greater Alexandria Chapter of the NFB of Virginia

From: BrianMiller [mailto:brianrmiller88 at gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2017 2:39 PM
To: 'Justin Wilson'
Subject: RE: Town Hall Meeting with Alexandria Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind

Dear Vice Mayor Wilson,

I wanted to thank you again for taking the time to come and speak to the
Alexandria chapter of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). I know
after work meetings make for a long day, and I want you to know how much we
appreciated you delaying your dinner on our behalf. You clearly did your
homework and were prepared to address the topics we raised in our questions
sent you prior to the meeting. You were open and honest with us as we
discussed concerns and issues facing our community. 

As I noted to you in our meeting Thursday night, we are a non-partisan,
non-profit advocacy organization speaking as blind and visually impaired
residents of this community. We are blind and visually impaired individuals
from a very diverse range of cultures, faiths, and political persuasions,
but we are agreed on the importance of ensuring access to all of the
facilities and programs in Alexandria, and promoting educational,
recreational, and employment opportunities for our members and our
community. 

I hope you will come to see the NFB as a resource for information and
advocacy as we seek to make Alexandria an accessible, as well as amazing
place to live, work, and play. 

We look forward to working with you in the days and months ahead. Please let
us know how we can best support you and the work of the city council. 

Sincerely,

Brian R. Miller, PH.D.

President

The Greater Alexandria Chapter of the NFB of Virginia

From: Justin Wilson [mailto:justin.wilson at alexandriava.gov] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 11:27 PM
To: Bonnie O'Day
Cc: 'BrianMiller'
Subject: Re: Town Hall Meeting with Alexandria Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind

Thanks. Sounds good. I'll see you on Thursday night. 

----

Justin M. Wilson, Vice Mayor

Alexandria City Council

Office: 703.746.4500

Home: 703.299.1576

justin.wilson at alexandriava.gov

  _____  

From: Bonnie O'Day <bonnoday at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 2:57 PM
To: Justin Wilson
Cc: 'BrianMiller'
Subject: RE: Town Hall Meeting with Alexandria Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind 

Hi Councilman Wilson.

The Alexandria chapter of the National Federation of the Blind is looking
forward to seeing you Thursday evening, July 20 at 7:30 PM in the Clubhouse
room at the Carlyle Place Apartments at 2251 Eisenhower.

Please let us know how long you will be able to be with us, so we can better
plan our time with you. 

Here are some topics for discussion at the meeting. We know each of these
could be an all-night discussion, but perhaps you could address each briefly
and then we can open it up for questions.  

1. Vision Zero: What is it and how will it improve safety for pedestrians,
particularly pedestrians with disabilities?

2. Transit: What is Alexandria's funding commitment to Metro, Dash buses,
and DOT paratransit? Are there any plans for expansion or changes in the
future?

3. Internet: What is the status of bids for additional Internet providers in
Alexandria? Will there be competition among providers anytime soon? 

4. Waterfront: What is the plan to expand the Alexandria Waterfront? Will
any new waterfront designs ensure pedestrian friendly pathways?

5. If I wanted to work for the City of Alexandria, is the application
process accessible to people who use screen readers to access print
information? Please address the City's commitment to accessibility of
software and computer applications for city employees. 

6. How familiar are you with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and how it
supports people with disabilities, including the blind and visually
impaired, to vote independently? Have you ever used an accessible voting
machine to cast a vote? Would you be willing to give it a try in the
November election? To whom should we direct comments if we have problems
with voting machines?

7. How familiar are you with some of the challenges blind and visually
impaired individuals face in navigating Old Town Alexandria? Challenges may
include curb cuts that are not aligned with crosswalks, informational kiosks
that are not accessible, and lack of audible traffic signals at some key
intersections. What can the city council do to address these challenges? 

We look forward to our meeting with you. Thank you very much.

Bonnie O'Day

NFB of VA, Alexandria Chapter

From: Justin Wilson [mailto:justin.wilson at alexandriava.gov] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2017 5:23 PM
To: Bonnie O'Day
Cc: 'BrianMiller'
Subject: Re: Town Hall Meeting with Alexandria Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind

That works for me. Thanks for the invite! 

----

Justin M. Wilson, Vice Mayor

Alexandria City Council

Office: 703.746.4500

Home: 703.299.1576

justin.wilson at alexandriava.gov

  _____  

From: Bonnie O'Day <bonnoday at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2017 9:06 AM
To: Justin Wilson
Cc: 'BrianMiller'
Subject: RE: Town Hall Meeting with Alexandria Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind 

Hi Councilman Wilson.

We would appreciate if you could speak to us on Thursday July 27 at 7:30.
Our meeting will be held in the Clubhouse room at the Carlyle Place
Apartments at 2251 Eisenhower.

We will suggest some topics for discussion prior to the meeting.

Please let us know if this date and time would be convenient for you.

Thank you very much.

Bonnie O'Day, member

Alexandria Chapter

National Federation of the Blind

From: Justin Wilson [mailto:justin.wilson at alexandriava.gov] 
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2017 12:03 AM
To: Bonnie O'Day
Cc: BrianMiller
Subject: Re: Town Hall Meeting with Alexandria Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind

Ms. O'Day,

Thanks for the invite. I should be able to make this date/time work.

We can discuss as we get closer to make sure I cover the issues of interest.

Have a good week! 

----

Justin M. Wilson, Vice Mayor

Alexandria City Council

Office: 703.746.4500

Home: 703.299.1576

justin.wilson at alexandriava.gov

  _____  

From: Bonnie O'Day <bonnoday at gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2017 11:02 AM
To: Justin Wilson
Cc: BrianMiller; Bonnie ODay
Subject: Town Hall Meeting with Alexandria Chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind 

Good morning Mr. Wilson. An Alexandria Chapter of the National Federation of
the Blind has just been created. The National Federation of the Blind is an
organization of blind and low vision individuals across the country to
improve the lives of blind people across the country. We have strong
chapters in Arlington, Fairfax and Washington DC, and recently formed a
chapter in Alexandria. We are interested in having you address our chapter
later this summer, potentially on Monday August 14 at 7:30 PM in the
clubhouse room at the Carlyle Place Apartments at 2251 Eisenhower. We expect
about 20 individuals would be present. We would be happy to develop and send
you a list of potential topics for discussion prior to the meeting.
Please let us know if this date and time work for you. If not, we can be
flexible in arriving at a date and time that work for you.
Thank you very much.

Bonnie O'Day
703 845-3436

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