[NFBV-Announce] did you miss the deadline? Democracy in action! Join us for the Richmond Seminar, January 20th -21st

Thu Jan 2 22:32:37 UTC 2025

From: Bonnie O'Day, legislative Committee Chair 

Did the holidays distract you from signing up for Democracy in Action in
Richmond? Have you booked your room at the Delta Hotel Richmond? Did you
register online to join us so we can put you on a team? Fortunately, we
extended the deadlines to  1/7 so you  still have a chance to participate.
We really need you. Join us so our combined presence can have maximum
impact.

Please join us for our Richmond Seminar to ensure our voice is heard in the
Virginia General Assembly.  Dates to remember are below, followed by more
details.

Dates to Remember

*	The dates of our Richmond Seminar are Monday January 20 (Martin
Luther King Jr Day) and Tuesday January 21, 2025. Attend the board meeting
on January 20 at the Delta Mariott Hotel in downtown Richmond to hear about
our legislative priorities. Meet with General Assembly members on the
morning of January 21.
*	Please use the form at the link to let us know you are coming to
either Richmond Seminar or the board meeting now extended to January 7. 

 <http://archive.nfbv.org/richmond> http://archive.nfbv.org/richmond

Also let your chapter president know, as they will be arranging
transportation.

*	If you want to be a team leader, contact Bonnie O'Day at
<mailto:bonnoday at gmail.com> bonnoday at gmail.com or 703 965-2501. 
*	Make your reservation at the Richmond Delta Hotel by January 7. You
can make them on- line at
<https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=17114767
54895&key=GRP&app=resvlink>
https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=171147675
4895&key=GRP&app=resvlink.  or by calling 804 788-0900.  Please ask for the
NFB rate. 

Here are the details.

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. The Richmond Seminar will take place in-person. 

When: Monday, January 20, Martin Luther King Day. We will hold an important
NFBV Board Meeting to discuss legislative issues and get organized. On
Tuesday, January 21, 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 room rate at
the Delta is $157 per night, but 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 20.  The meeting will be held at the Delta Mariott Hotel,
555 East Canal Street in downtown Richmond. Note that this is a change in
the board meeting location from past years. We will stay at the Delta Hotel
on Monday night. 

On Tuesday morning, we will be going to the offices of the General Assembly
in the new General Assembly Building, 201 North Ninth Street. 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. 

The Issues: The issues we will bring to Richmond are still under
consideration, but we know we will address the Information Technology Access
Act, which will Improve the accessibility of technology used by K-12
students, college students, and users of Virginia State and local government
resources. We are certain that other issues will arise as we get closer to
our Richmond Seminar. We will present the final list of issues and
distribute fact sheets at the board meeting on Monday, January 20.

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 Bonnie O'Day at the
email and phone number below.

Please complete the on-line form at 

 <http://archive.nfbv.org/richmond> http://archive.nfbv.org/richmond

to let us know that you will be attending the Richmond Seminar by January 7.
This will give us adequate time to put together the teams. Also let your
chapter president know you are coming, as 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. 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 Bob Hartt at 703 851-8149, no later than Monday,
December 30 to allow matches to make their reservation by the hotel deadline
of January 7. You can also email Bob at  <mailto:bobmhartt at gmail.com>
bobmhartt at gmail.com but please put Richmond Seminar Roommate Request in the
subject line. 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=16679320
48046&key=GRP&app=resvlink>
https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=166793204
8046&key=GRP&app=resvlink

You may make your reservations at any time, but they must be made by January
7. If you have problems making reservations or have any other issues with
the hotel, please contact our new Operations Coordinator, Stewart Prost via
email at  <mailto:sprost82 at gmail.com> sprost82 at gmail.com. 

A form requesting reimbursement for transportation and your hotel stay can
be downloaded from the affiliate site:  <https://nfbv.org/treasurer>
https://nfbv.org/treasurer at the bottom of the page.

Finally, if you are interested in being a team leader, please reach out to
Bonnie O'Day directly, in addition to completing the on-line form. If you
have any questions, please contact Bonnie O'Day at 703 965-2501 or email her
at  <mailto:bonnoday at gmail.com> bonnoday at gmail.com

I look forward to seeing you in Richmond!

Bonnie O'Day

NFB of Virginia Legislative Committee Chair

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

703 965-250

Peace,

Jacki Bruce

Corresponding Secretary NFBV

mailto:jackibruce6 at gmail.com

tel:(757)291-1789

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

STRONGER TOGETHER!

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