[VABS] Fwd: Nabs needs your help passing the Access Technology Afordability Act

President Vabs vabs.president at gmail.com
Sat May 30 00:25:36 UTC 2020


It’s that time again! I hope everybody is doing well, and staying healthy.
In these most unusual circumstances it is more important than ever to be an
advocate, and help push forward the movement of blind civil rights. To that
end our friends from the legislative and self advocacy committee have asked
us to send three simple emails each. Sean from Maryland has graciously done
most of the work for you. All you have to do is add your unique touch.
Please take the time to do this as it is very important. Additionally if we
get all these emails in prior to Monday the chance of the bill getting
passed goes up! Thank you for your hard work in advance.

Nick Petrillo
Virginia Association Of Blind Students President,

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Shawn <shawnabraham21 at gmail.com>
Date: Thu, May 28, 2020 at 7:35 PM
Subject: Nabs needs your help passing the Access Technology Afordability Act
To: <vabs.president at gmail.com>
CC: Justin Young <jty727 at gmail.com>, <trishak.nfb at gmail.com>, <
tracy.soforenko at gmail.com>


Dear Nick,



I hope this email finds you well and you are staying safe during the
pandemic. NABS needs your help to pass important legislation to make access
technology more affordable for blind people, including students.



We need students in your state to contact both Senators and their
individual Representative. This means that each student would contact three
offices. This is very time sensative, since legislators are returning to DC on
June 1st and voting soon after. We need as many students as possible to
make contact right away, so that our representatives can learn about the
bill, make decisions, and have their name added to it before June 1.



Below my signature is a draft email that you and other students in your
state can use to ask your Senators and Representative to cosponsor the
bill.



Could you please send such an email right away, as well as help me get in
touch with all other blind students in your state?



Thank you in advance!

Shawn Abraham

Cell: 301:461:6904.



 Draft Email to Legislative Staff Members



To: staff contact

Cc: Kaloc, Jeff JKaloc at nfb.org, Trisha Kulkarni trishak.nfb at gmail.com, Kathryn
Webster nabs.president at gmail.com, and Justin Young jty727 at gmail.com)

Subject: Please Cosponsor S. 815/H.R. 2086



Dear ###,



I am one of your constituents from City, State. I write to respectfully
request that my Senator/Congressman/Congresswoman co-sponsor the Access
Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) (S. 815/H.R. 2086).



<give some background on yourself in order to establish rapport>



The cost of critically needed access technology is out of reach for most
blind Americans. By providing a refundable tax credit for qualifying
purchases, Congress will stimulate individual procurement of this
technology and promote affordability of these tools. The COVID-19 pandemic
has forced many Americans to become much more dependent upon technology,
which has exacerbated the challenges that blind students, job seekers, and
employees were already facing.



This bill already has bicameral bipartisan support. S. 815 currently has 22
cosponsors, and H.R. 2086 currently has 91 cosponsors. I wish to see my
Senator/Congresswoman/Congressman sign on as a cosponsor.



Will Senator/Congresswoman/Congressman #### please cosponsor this bill?



I have copied Jeff Kaloc jkaloc at nfb.org with the National Federation of the
Blind national office. He is available to answer any detailed questions you
might have.



Thank you in advance,



Your Name

Your Address (where you vote)

Your Contact Info



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