[VABS] Our Voices Matter

[André Hill]

Dear Members of VABS,

One of the tenants of the First Amendment to the US Constitution is the
right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. This means
that we have the right to use our voices and let our concerns be known to
those in power. We do this by calling, emailing, speaking with our
representatives in person. Our elected officials often hear lots of
complaints with very few reasonable solutions.

Together, we came up with solutions!

On the state level, the Virginia General Assembly, (Senate - 39 to zero and
House - 73 to 26), passed HB 516: The Accessible Prescription Labeling
Bill. This bill requires the Board of Pharmacy to publish regulations
implementing the provisions of the bill no later than December 31, 2024.

On the federal level, we helped pass the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) Reauthorization Act with specific provisions to assist with making
air travel smoother for blind Americans.

One of the current pieces of legislation we are fighting for is the "Blind
Americans Return to Work Act" - H.R. 8878). This bill will eliminate the
SSDI earnings cliff by instituting a two-for-one phase out of benefits for
any income earned above the substantial gainful activity threshold.

As we embark on new pieces of legislation, remember that there are going to
be times when we fight the good fight and despite our hardest of efforts,
we do not prevail but that shouldn't stop us. We keep fighting,

Respectfully,


André Hill
Chairperson
Legislative Committee
Va Association of Blind Students
NFB of Virginia