[Ohio-Talk] Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) We still need your Help

[Eric Duffy]

Even during this time of Crisis, confusion, frustration, and even though we are now living in a world we have not known before, The work of the National Federation of the Blind goes on. We must continue to try to get cosponsors for the Access Technology Affordability Act. 

I looked at the list of cosponsors in the house, and saw that Ohio  did not gain one new cosponsor. I was very frustrated. I almost didn’t look at the list of cosponsors in the senate, but I am glad I did. Sherrod Brown is now a cosponsor of S815. Good work Ohio. Now let’s Reach out to Senator Portman,  and to your member of the House. Let’s work to get more support from the Ohio Congressional Delegation for this important legislation.

Here is what John Pare Says:

Dear Federation Family:

As President Riccobono mentioned in the Presidential Notebook, we need to continue to build cosponsor support for our legislation. We have been focusing on the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) and it has paid off, so we want to keep that momentum up. 

We currently have 83 cosponsors in the House (H.R. 2086) and 22 cosponsors in the Senate (S. 815). These cosponsor counts are impressive, but we need to keep the pressure up to ensure that ATAA moves from the committees to the floor and is ultimately passed into law. Blind Americans are going to need the tools to secure employment more than ever in the wake of this tragic Coronavirus pandemic. Please call your representative and two senators and urge them to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act if they have not already done so. .

When you call or email, you might say something like the following:

"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a constituent of [your senator/representative]. I live in [city, state]. I am calling to urge [your senator/representative] to cosponsor [S. 815 for Senate calls/H.R. 2086 for House calls], the Access Technology Affordability Act. This legislation removes an employment barrier commonly experienced by blind Americans who cannot afford the high cost of access technology by creating a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2,000 to offset the cost of these technologies. In the wake of the Coronavirus an employment bill for blind Americans is needed more than ever. I urge [your senator/representative] to cosponsor the bill.

Thanks."

You can contact your member of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for the office in question. The number is 202-224-3121. If you email your representative or senators, please copy John Pare at jpare at nfb.org <mailto:jpare at nfb.org>. Your calls and emails do make a difference.

It is best to call or email the relevant tax staffer in your member of Congress's office. If you need the name and email of the appropriate staff person for any Senate or House office, please email Jesa Medders at jmedders at nfb.org <mailto:jmedders at nfb.org>.

John Pare
National Federation of the Blind
410-659-9314, extension 2218