<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>From: Deepa <span style='mso-ligatures:none'>Goraya <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Hello NFBV,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>This is the fourth of six legislative advocacy alerts. There will be two more in the coming weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The National Federation of the Blind urges both the House and Senate to pass the Access Technology Affordability Act, H.R. 1529/S. 1918. This bill will help blind Americans to be able to afford the high cost of qualified access technology by creating a refundable tax credit of 2,000 dollars for use over a three-year period.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>As of right now, we have 32 cosponsors in the House and three in the Senate. From Virginia, Rep. Vindman is a cosponsor. We need your help to get the other Virginia House representatives and senators to cosponsor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>We are asking that you call or email both of your Senators and your Representative and ask them to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Sample Script<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>When you call or email you might say:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>“My name is [YOUR NAME] and I want to urge [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME] to support the Access Technology Affordability Act, [H.R. 1529/S 1918]. This bill will save the federal government an estimated 315 million dollars over the span of five years according to Mathematica, a well-respected economic firm. It will do this by creating a 2,000 dollar refundable tax credit for blind people for the purchase of specialized access technology.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>This technology will help blind people search for a job, apply for a job, and then keep that job, which in turn increase the number of blind Americans who are working and paying into programs like Social Security and decrease the number of blind Americans who receive government benefits. Please support the Access Technology Affordability Act today.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>We suggest a subject like: “Mathematica estimates H.R. 1529/S. 1918 would save the federal government 315 million dollars over five years.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>A current list of the House members and their office’s contact info is attached. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>You can also download the <a href="https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2025-09/September%20Legislative%20Alert%20Spreadsheet%20-%20Senate.xlsx">Senate </a>or the <a href="https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2025-09/September%20Legislative%20Alert%20Spreadsheet%20-%20House_0.xlsx">House spreadsheet</a>. They are organized alphabetically by state. You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for the office in question. For Representative Connolly’s office, VA-11, James Walkinshaw is now the newly elected representative. I’ve included his office phone number in the attached spreadsheet but do not know who the legislative director is or any email address.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Background<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Since 2017, the National Federation of the Blind has been working to get a tax credit for the purchase of qualified access technology for the blind passed into law. We believe that this would help blind Americans to better handle the high cost of access technology that we need in order to be able to search for, apply for, and maintain steady and fulfilling employment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>In turn, with more of us working, we would actually be paying more into the federal government through income and payroll taxes and be less dependent on government benefits. Over time, this increased employment and reduced dependence will save the federal government approximately $315 million dollars over the course of five years according to an analysis by Mathematica. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'>Deepinder K. Goraya, Esq.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Peace,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Jacki Bruce<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Corresponding Secretary NFBV<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com">mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="tel:(757)291-1789">tel:(757)291-1789</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Membership Chair<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="mailto:membership@nfbv.org">mailto:membership@nfbv.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Find us on Facebook @NationalFederationoftheBlindofVirginia<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Find us on Instragram @nfbofvirginia<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Subscribe to our Youtube: NFB Virginia<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="http://www.nfbv.org/">www.nfbv.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>STRONGER TOGETHER!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>