----- Original Message -----
From: Ed Meskys
To: edmund meskys
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2016 7:26 AM
Subject: repaired defense authorization
I just finished leaving voice mail for both sen Ayotte and Shaheen (spelling?)
in supporrt of this clause in the defense authorization act. Please call the
number and thank ayotte for co-sponsoring our bill, and one asking Shaheen to
do so. You call the number and acomputer talks to you. Hit #1 to leave a
message, then #1 for senate, then your zip code to get NH, then #1 for Ayotte;
or #2 for Shaheen.
This is to allow service injured/disabled veterans to travel free on space
available on military airplanes. Military personnel who were discharged for
service related disability should have the same privilage as those who
completed their 20 year service without disability.
Ed
ps--please pass this on to anyone who might be willing to do the same.
Ed
----- Original Message -----
From: Diggs, Parnell via Nfbnet-members-list
To: nfbnet-members-list@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2016 4:59 PM
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Urgent, the Space Available bill is moving!
Dear Colleagues:
As President Riccobono mentioned in Monday's Notebook (see attached), the House
and Senate are finalizing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and we
have been engaged in efforts to make sure that Congress includes H.R. 2264 and
S. 2596, our Space Available legislation, in the base bill of each chamber of
Congress. Today, we have confirmed that the language of H.R. 2264 has been
included in the House draft version of the NDAA base bill.
We must be vigilant, however, because anything can happen in the legislative
process between now and the time the vote is taken. But now the next critical
step is to focus on the Senate and ask our senators also to include the Space
Available language in the Senate version of the NDAA. Please call or email your
two senators and ask them to cosponsor S. 2596 if they have not already done
so. The Capitol switchboard number is (202) 224-3121.
Below, and included for your convenient reference, please find an
alphabetized-by-state list of those who have already cosponsored the Space
Available bill in the Senate. If you do not see one or both of your senators on
this list, please touch base and ask them to cosponsor S. 2596. The more
cosponsors we get, the better chance the Space Available bill gets included in
the Senate version of the NDAA. I am also attaching here an updated fact sheet
with additional information about how much space is available in the Space
Available Program.
This is the final stretch! As always, I can't thank you enough for the
excellent work you do each day. Let's get it done!
Parnell
Delaware
Sen. Christopher A. Coons
Hawaii
Sen. Mazie K. Hirono
Montana
Sen. Jon Tester
Nevada
Sen. Dean Heller (Sponsor)
New Hampshire
Sen. Kelly Ayotte
Parnell Diggs, Esq.
Director of Government Affairs
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
Office: (410) 659-9314, extension 2222
Mobile: (843) 267-2018
Email: pdiggs@xxxxxxx
Twitter: @NFB_Voice
@ParnellDiggs
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.
Make a gift to the National Federation of the Blind and help ensure all blind
Americans live the lives they want
Subject: FW: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 04/1
8/2016
From: President, National Federation of the Blind
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2016 3:59 PM
To: 'state-affiliate-leadership-list@xxxxxxxxxx'
Cc: 'john.alahouzos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'; Braun, Beth; 'gpaul@xxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 04/18/2016
President’s Notebook
National Federation of the Blind
Mark A. Riccobono
officeofthepresident@xxxxxxx
(410) 659-9314
Dear Fellow Federationists,
Last Monday I did not get the notebook out. One reason was that I spent part of
the day talking with Congressman Young, from Iowa, who visited here after the
consistent urging of our members in Iowa. Although every member of Congress is
not likely to make the short trip from Washington, DC, to Baltimore, I am
certain that more of them would if you urged them to do so. I think we should
consider how we get more members of Congress to visit our national headquarters
to learn, in more detail, about the work that we do. Thank you to our
colleagues in Iowa for getting this done.
We are into the heavy planning time for the national convention. I hope that
each of you have made plans for your involvement in the convention. I also hope
that you are making plans for your delegation to be the biggest ever.
Critical Actions This Week:
Blind Parents Needed:
If you or other members of your affiliate would be interested in being a mentor
to a future blind parent or to a current blind parent seeking support, please
send an email to Melissa Riccobono at parenting@xxxxxxx. Remember that when we
say parents we also mean grandparents or guardians of all types. As you know,
the National Federation of the Blind is the leading advocate for the rights of
blind parents and the largest resource network for blind people who are
considering being parents. We are continuing to build our resources in the area
of blind parents, and the next step is to formalize a program of mentoring for
blind parents. Mentors will follow up with individuals they are assigned to
mentor, and will be asked for ideas about other resources needed to strengthen
the network of education, support, and advocacy that is the National Federation
of the Blind.
Space Available: H.R. 2264 and S. 2596:
This legislation will amend Title 10 of the United States Code to permit
veterans who have a service-connected, permanent disability rating as "total"
to travel on military aircraft in the same manner and to the same extent as
retired members of the Armed Forces entitled to such travel. Please follow up
with your congressmen and senators and ask them to support H.R. 2264 in the
House of Representatives and S. 2596 in the Senate. The Capitol switchboard
phone number is (202) 224-3121.
Last week we added cosponsors in the House and Senate, bringing our total to
fifty-four cosponsors in the House of Representatives and four cosponsors in
the Senate. The next few weeks will be crucial as the National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) is formulated in the respective houses of Congress. A
significant number of cosponsors will increase the likelihood that our space
available bill will be included in the larger legislative vehicle (the NDAA)
and become law this year. Please call your legislators today!
News:
The Huffington Post article:
I was recently quoted in an article in The Huffington Post, "A Lot More Needs
to Be Done to Help Blind People Use the Internet." The entire article can be
found at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/blind-people-internet-accessibility_us_57051a56e4b0537661883b1c
.
Presidential Release Available:
The April release has been posted to https://nfb.org/presidential-releases and ;
the Spanish version can be accessed at
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/pr/spanish/pr_449_spanish.mp3.
Higher Education Toolkit in Spanish:
The NFB’s Self-Advocacy in Higher Education Toolkit is now available in
Spanish. Please remember that we welcome feedback as we prepare to expand the
toolkit’s contents. You can provide feedback via our feedback webform or by
contacting Valerie Yingling at vyingling@xxxxxxx or (410) 659-9314, extension
2440.
New Online Voter Registration Law in Rhode Island:
Many states have laws allowing online registration. However, Rhode Island is
the first state to say, in writing, that voters with disabilities must have
full and equal access to online voter registration. More information can be
found in the blog post at
https://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-freely/voting-precedent-every-state-should-follow
.
Seedlings Braille Books for Children:
Seedlings Braille Books for Children will be supporting our 2016 NFB BELL
Academy by providing two hundred dollars ($200) worth of free books for each of
our 2016 NFB BELL Academy sites. We have over thirty affiliates participating
and forty-five program sites across the country. Each site will be able to
choose books from the great selection Seedlings offers. We greatly appreciate
the support from Seedlings, which will help us to get more Braille under
children’s fingers. Please contact Carlton Walker at (410) 659-9314,
extension 2225, or via email at cwalker@xxxxxxx for more information. Visit the
NFB BELL Academy home page at https://nfb.org/bell-academy for more information ;
or to register for NFB BELL Academy.
Reminders:
Preregistration for Convention:
Please don't forget to preregister for convention. Both the form and link to do
so online can be found on our website at https://nfb.org/convention. ;
Dates to Keep in Mind:
· April 25: NFB EQ student application deadline,
https://nfb.org/nfb-eq-form
· May 1: Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award application
deadline
· May 17-20: BLAST, Chicago
· May 19-21: NFB STEM2U Minneapolis
· May 21-26: International Council on English Braille 6th General
Assembly
· June 7: NFB EQ teacher application deadline,
https://nfb.org/nfb-eq-teacher-application ;
· June 19-25: NFB EQ (first iteration)
· June 30-July 5: National Federation of the Blind Convention, Rosen
Shingle Creek, Orlando, Florida
· July 31-August 6: NFB EQ (second iteration)
· August 2-6: NFB EQ teacher cohort
· August 18-25: WBU and ICEVI General Assembly, Rosen Centre, Orlando,
Florida, www.wbu-icevi2016.org
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.
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Phone: (410) 659-9314
Fax: (410) 659-5129
Email: officeofthepresident@xxxxxxx
Twitter: @Riccobono and @NFB_Voice
Web: www.nfb.org
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