[Ohio-talk] Attention Washington Seminar leaders

[barbara.pierce9366 at gmail.com]

We have had action on the national legislative front. Here is a leter that I am sending to the staff members my group saw in Washington. I think you could adapt it to go to your people. I will not do the senators because I was not the lead on those meetings. The Senate information should be lifted for those aides. You would have to change the names of the aides and the members to fit your offices. I hope that this is helpful. It is important for us to get word to our Ohio members quickly. Be sure to send any answers to Parnell

DEAR ALEX,

 

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF OHIO ON JANUARY 31 THIS YEAR. WE DISCUSSED SEVERAL ISSUES OF CONCERN TO OHIO’S BLIND CITIZENS. BELOW IS A LIST OF OUR BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN RECENTLY INTRODUCED. WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT MR. GIBBS THINKS ABOUT THEM AND WHETHER OR NOT HE WOULD CONSIDER BECOMING A COSPONSOR OF ANY OF THEM.

 

THE ACCESSIBLE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN HIGHER EDUCATION ACT, “AIM HIGH”, H.R. 1772, WAS INTRODUCED MARCH 29 BY CONGRESSMAN PHIL ROE (R-TN) AND CONGRESSMAN JOE COURTNEY (D-CT). H.R. 1772 WILL PROMOTE INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND CONTENT THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO THE BLIND AND OTHER STUDENTS WITH PRINT DISABILITIES. 

 

THE ACCESS TECHNOLOGY AFFORDABILITY ACT OF 2017 (ATAA) H.R. 1734 AND S. 732 WERE INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES DAVID YOUNG (R-IA) AND LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD (D-CA) IN THE HOUSE AND BY SENATORS JOHN BOOZMAN (R-AR) AND BENJAMIN L. CARDIN (D-MD) IN THE SENATE ON MARCH 28, 2017. THIS LEGISLATION WILL ESTABLISH A PER-PERSON INDIVIDUAL REFUNDABLE TAX CREDIT TO BE USED OVER A MULTI-YEAR PERIOD TO OFFSET THE COST OF ACCESS TECHNOLOGY FOR BLIND PEOPLE.

 

THE TRANSITIONING TO INTEGRATED AND MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT (TIME) ACT OF 2017 (H.R. 1377) IS STILL A PRIORITY OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND EVEN THOUGH WE DID NOT DISCUSS IT WITH YOU. THE BILL WAS INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE GREGG HARPER (R-MS) ON MARCH 8, 2017, TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES BY PHASING OUT SECTION 14(C) OF THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT AND FACILITATING THE TRANSITIONING OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES NOW WORKING IN SEGREGATED EMPLOYMENT SETTINGS INTO COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

 

I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU IN THE DAYS AHEAD ABOUT YOUR BOSS’S VIEWS ON THESE THREE ISSUES.

 

CORDIALLY, 


Barbara Pierce 
President Emerita
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
Barbara.pierce9366 at gmail.com
440-774-8077
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.