[NFBV-Announce] Zoom Link for tonight's 8:00 PM Washington Seminar Issues Training & the Virginia specific Sign up process ,

Wed Jan 3 20:35:29 UTC 2024

>From Deepa Goraya, Virginia Affiliate Lead for Washington Seminar

Our first of 3 Washington Seminar trainings throughout the month of January
will be tonight at 8:00 PM Eastern (1/3). The training will be conducted via
Zoom and will focus on our three legislative priorities for the 2024
Washington Seminar: the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility
Act, the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act, and the Blind Americans
Return to Work Act. This meeting is open to everyone, and we strongly
encourage you to review the fact sheets (available on the Washington Seminar
Page <https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar>  in
both Word and HTML formats) before the training. The Zoom information for
the January 3 training is:

https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/92935463825 

Meeting ID: 929 3546 3825 

One tap mobile 
+13017158592,,92935463825# US (Washington DC)

Or for those who simply want to call in:

Dial: 301 715-8592

Meeting ID: 929 3546 3825 

More details on all the prep meetings for the 2024 Washington Seminar are
provided below

From: 'Deepa Goraya' <deepa.goraya at gmail.com>
Subject: 2024 Washington Seminar Update: New Sign up process for Virginians,
Hotel filling up, Prep meetings over Zoom in January, and other news: Join
us for the 2024 Washington Seminar (January 29- 31

Happy Holidays Virginia Federationists:

This message provides updates on the registration process, hotels, prep
meetings, and special receptions.

A.	Registration for Washington Seminar for Virginians attending
Congressional Appointments

Washington seminar is fast approaching and we need you to act to sign up
using our new web form. It is hard to manage a set of emails and text
messages so even if you have already signed up by emailing Deepa, please use
the online form so there is a single point where we know who is available
for appointments each day. Getting your registration now is  crucial so we
can secure our appointments so do not delay.

https://nfbv.org/washington

B) Hotel Reservations:

-              Reservation deadline for our room block is Sunday, December
31, but it may fill up before then

-              If you haven't already done so, reserve your room at the
Holiday Inn Washington Capitol - National Mall ASAP

-              Use the booking link at nfb.org/Washington-seminar, or call
the hotel (877-834-3613) and use our group code: NF4  

-              While we just added more rooms to our room block, the room
block is filling up

C) National Prep Meetings in January over Zoom:

-              Wednesday, January 3  at 8:00 PM Eastern- Issues Training 

-              Tuesday, January 9 at 8:00 PM Eastern  - Mock Legislative
Appointment Meeting #1 

-              Tuesday, January 16 - Mock Legislative Appointment Meeting #2

-              We encourage all members to attend at least one of the mock
meeting trainings, and recommend new members attend both

-              The Zoom link for these national meetings will be provided in
January.

D) Virginia Specific Team Prep and Logistics over Zoom - Saturday, January
27 at 3:00 PM.

Deepa and I will run a  brief meeting over the Virginia Affiliate Zoom on
Saturday, January 27 at 3:00 PM for the individuals attending Washington
Seminar. This will provide our Virginia specific logistics, team
assignments, and will allow us to practice as a team over Zoom in a break
out room.

E) Fact Sheets:

-              Fact sheets will be available on the website by Friday,
January 5

F) 2meetings on Monday, January 29, 2024:

-              2-4 p.m. - Legislative Seminar (open to all)

-              5-7 p.m. - Great Gathering-In (open to all, and streamed on
Zoom)

G) Congressional Reception:

One of our more recent Washington Seminar traditions will be back again for
2024. On Tuesday, January 30, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the Cannon Caucus
Room (located in the Cannon House Office Building), we will be conducting
our annual Congressional Reception. There will be light refreshments and a
chance to hear members of Congress address a large group of our members. We
hope to see you there! This event is sponsored by Waymo.

H) three legislative priorities for the 2024 Washington Seminar: Website
accessibility, increase home medical self-sufficiency, and increase work
incentives related to SSDI for blind Americans. The three legislative
priorities for the 2024 Washington Seminar are:

*       Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act (H.R. 5813/S.
2984)

*       Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (H.R. 1328)

*       Blind Americans Return to Work Act

So, please join us for Washington Seminar. The details on how to sign up are
provided below.

>From Deepa Goraya

NFB of Virginia Legislative Director  for Washington Seminar 

  <mailto:deepa.goraya at gmail.com> deepa.goraya at gmail.com

Hello Virginia Federationists,

I hope you all had a wonderful 2023 NFB of Virginia Convention and
Thanksgiving holiday. Washington Seminar is fast approaching in less than 2
months, in person from Monday, January 29 through Thursday, February 1,
2024. Please note, we strive to make all appointments to be completed by
late afternoon on January 31.

I wanted to send out some info to help you begin thinking about reserving
your room and making arrangements in your schedule to attend.

The legislative Committee needs to begin creating teams of those who will be
attending Washington Seminar and start scheduling appointments with members
of Congress. So the earlier you can let us know whether you will be
attending, the better. Please let us know by December 28 whether you plan to
attend. 

Please use the form at:

https://nfbv.org/washington

The Great-Gathering-In is scheduled for Monday, January 29, 2024. The Great
Gathering-In is the official kickoff meeting for our 2023 Washington
Seminar. The deadline for making hotel reservations with the Holiday Inn
Capitol is December 31, 2023, and although I know most of you are busy as we
approach the holiday season, the hotel would certainly appreciate getting
your reservations as early as possible to ensure that you secure your
reservation. 

To book a room for the 2024 Washington Seminar please use our dedicated
<https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/find-hotels/select-roomrate?fro
mRedirect=true&qSrt=sBR&qIta=99801505&icdv=99801505&qSlH=wassm&qCiD=25&qCiMy
=002024&qCoD=02&qCoMy=012024&qGrpCd=NF4&setPMCookies=true&qSHBrC=HI&qDest=55
0%20C%20Street%20S.W.,%20Washington,%20DC,%20US&srb_u=1&qRmFltr=> Booking
Link, or call 877-834-3613 and provide our group code, NF4. The room rate
for 2024 is $188.00 per night (not including taxes and fees), and the
deadline to make a reservation is Sunday, December 31, 2023

This year, we are going to Washington in person. Please encourage all your
chapter members, friends, and acquaintances to attend so we can show
Congress that blind Virginians are committed to our important issues!

If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact me, your
co-legislative director, at  <mailto:deepa.goraya at gmail.com>
deepa.goraya at gmail.com or call me at 9099643699.

Sincerely,

Deepa Goraya

Co-Legislative Director

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

Tracy Soforenko

President, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

202 285-4595

Tracy.soforenko at gmail.com <mailto:Tracy.soforenko at gmail.com> 

www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org> 

www.nfbv.org <http://www.nfbv.org> 

National Federation of the Blind. Live the Life You Want

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.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbv-announce_nfbnet.org/attachments/20240103/42b27d66/attachment.html>