[vendtalk] Urgent action needed - your response appreciated

[Kevan Worley]

Greetings,

 

As most of you know, the National Association of Blind Merchants is
collaborating with the NCSAB, RSA and others to help develop a great
National Randolph-Sheppard Training and Leadership Conference (NRSTLC) June
9-12 in Washington, DC. As you are also likely aware, blind vendors are
working through the Blind Entrepreneurs Alliance (BEA) to ensure committed
advocacy throughout the government in order to protect and expand
opportunity for all blind entrepreneurs in and around Randolph-Sheppard.
Coinciding with the NRSTLC, many blind vendors will want to join the Blind
Entrepreneurs Alliance 2010 Washington Fly-In Effort. All interested
participants will want to join the BEA for a briefing Tuesday morning, if
possible. Following the briefing on Tuesday morning, June 9, we plan to head
to our nation's capitol to meet with members of Congress and their
legislative staff members. But we need your help. We need to identify blind
vendors who plan to be participating in the Washington Fly-In. we are
setting up appointments. Please encourage blind vendors to be in touch with
me or Sean Whalen of the BEA. 

 

The following states have Senate appointments scheduled, but have nobody
confirmed to attend: Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, New York,
Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin

 

These states have appointments pending which cannot be scheduled without a
list of meeting participants: Alaska, Iowa, Montana, Nevada, and North
Dakota

 

Sean Whalen and Catriona MacDonald are working hard to get these important
appointments with members of Congress. I realize that our State Licensing
Agency colleagues may not be in a position to advocate aggressively with
members of Congress. But it will be helpful if every single one of you
receiving this note will please help us to identify blind vendors from the
states listed above and all other states who can and will participate with
us at the Capitol on June 9. This is the kind of assertive government
advocacy we all must do to protect and expand Randolph-Sheppard. Please take
a moment to identify a blind vendor attending or locate someone who could
attend and encourage them to do so. I believe that the National Association
of Blind Merchants is the only organization which is providing some stipends
for blind vendors who wish to attend. We have a limited number and we will
be targeting the states listed above.

 

Thank you very much. 

 

 

At Your Service, 

Kevan Worley

President, National Association of Blind Merchants

 

 
<https://catalog.usmint.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?langId
=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&identifier=4000>