[NFBV-Announce] Democracy in Action: Join us for Richmond Seminar - January 16-17

Fri Nov 11 02:23:52 UTC 2022

>From Bonnie O'Day, NFB of Virginia General Assembly Legislative Chair

bonnoday at gmail.com <mailto:bonnoday at gmail.com> 

Please join us for Richmond Seminar to ensure our voice is heard in the
Virginia General Assembly.

Whether you have attended many Richmond Seminars, or this will be your first
one, we strongly encourage you to attend and participate in representative
democracy in action. We are planning for an exclusively in-person Richmond
Seminar.

When: 

Monday, January 16, Martin Luther King Day. We will hold an important NFBV
Board Meeting to discuss legislative issues and get organized. On Tuesday,
January 17, we will meet with our Senators and Delegates.

How it Works: 

Please attend the NFBV Board Meeting on Monday to learn about the issues.
Plan to stay overnight at the Delta Marriott Richmond on Monday night and
enjoy an evening of conviviality with your NFBV family. You will be assigned
a team to meet with legislators on Tuesday, sharing our issues and answering
the questions of legislators and their staff. The affiliate will reimburse
transportation and hotel expenses. The National Federation of the Blind of
Virginia can reimburse these expenses through the generosity of the many
donors to the Charlie Brown Memorial Fund. We are grateful for these
contributions which honor Charlie's commitment to ensuring we all have a
voice in advocacy for the rights of blind people in Virginia.

Where it All Happens: 

Our board meeting is scheduled for 1:00 PM Monday afternoon, January 16 at
the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired Campus, 395 Azalea Avenue,
Richmond. We will meet in the Library & Resource Center (LRC) or perhaps in
the gymnasium if construction has started at the LRC building. Lunch will be
available at the cafeteria on the premises prior to the meeting. On Monday
night, we will stay at the Delta Hotel by Marriott, 555 East Canal Street,
Richmond, VA 23219.

On Tuesday morning, we will be going to the offices of the General Assembly
in the Pocahontas Building. Our meetings are typically between 8:00 AM and
11:30 AM. Your team will likely have 10 appointments during this brief time
window. Your team leader will facilitate the process, but everyone will play
a role on the team. By Noon, we are gathering back up to return home. It is
quick, exciting, and the legislators and their staff are happy we came to
speak with them. 

We look forward to reconnecting in person while being mindful of and
compliant with all visiting requirements observed at Marriott properties,
the DBVI campus, and the capitol.

The Issues:

The issues we will bring to Richmond are still under consideration but will
most likely include:

*	Improving the accessibility of technology used by K-12 students,
college students, state employees, and users of Virginia government
resources
*	Expanding resources for the Virginia Department for the Blind and
Vision Impaired

We will present the final list of issues and fact sheets at the board
meeting on Monday, January 16. 

What You Need to Do:

We have bills being drafted that will need co-sponsors. Chapter Presidents
should contact their General Assembly members in their local offices before
the end of the year. All Chapter members are encouraged to participate in
these meetings. A meeting with our elected legislators in their home
districts will go a long way in establishing the recognition that is needed
for our visit to Richmond. If you need assistance identifying your delegate,
need help in setting up a meeting, or do secure a meeting and need
additional information about our issues, please contact me, Bonnie O'Day (my
contact information is below.).

Let your chapter president know you will be attending the Richmond Seminar,
but also copy Bonnie. Chapter presidents will arrange cost effective
transportation for their chapter members. Individuals are expected to share
hotel rooms and must obtain hotel reservations themselves at the NFB of
Virginia rate, which is $145 per night plus taxes. We reimburse based on
having two people share a room, so we ask you to plan for a roommate. If you
need assistance finding a roommate, please call/text Domonique Lawless:
(615) 904-4225, no later than Saturday, December 31 to allow matches to make
their reservation by the hotel deadline of January 5. You can also email
Domonique but please put Richmond Seminar Roommate request in the subject
line and email her at: dlawless86 at gmail.com <mailto:dlawless86 at gmail.com> .

You may choose to reserve a room by yourself, but as has always been the
case, the affiliate will reimburse only 50% of the room reservation. 

Please make your own reservation on-line at the Delta Hotels by Marriott
Richmond Downtown at:

https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=166793204
8046
<https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=16679320
48046&key=GRP&app=resvlink> &key=GRP&app=resvlink 

You may make your reservations at any time, but they must be made by January
5. If you have problems making reservations or have any other issues with
the hotel, please contact our Operations Coordinator, Joe Orozco via email
at jsorozco at gmail.com <mailto:jsorozco at gmail.com> . A form requesting
reimbursement for transportation and your hotel stay is attached to this
email, or can be downloaded from the affiliate site:
https://nfbv.org/treasurer 

Chapter presidents must provide an initial list of the names of the
individuals planning to attend from their chapter to Bonnie O'Day by Tuesday
January 3 at 5 PM and additional names as they are known so we can establish
and update teams in advance.

Finally, if you are interested in being a team leader, please reach out to
Bonnie O'Day directly and provide your full name, city or county of
residence, email address, and phone number. If you have any questions,
please contact Bonnie O'Day at 703 965-2501 or email her at
bonnoday at gmail.com <mailto:bonnoday at gmail.com> 

I look forward to seeing you in Richmond!

Bonnie O'Day

NFB of Virginia General Assembly Legislative Chair

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