[Arizona-students] Help us represent blind Americans in Washington, D.C. on October 20th!

[David Andrews]

>Subject: [Greater-baltimore] FW: Help us represent blind Americans in
>        Washington, D.C. on October 20th!
>
>Here's a message from our National Office.
>
> 
>You and your members are needed to represent blind Americans in
>Washington, D.C.!  Future legislation could be affected by whether or
>not we show that we are holding Congress accountable on the following
>issues.  On Thursday, October 20, the Senate Health Education Labor and
>Pensions Committee (the HELP Committee) is conducting a hearing on
>disability employment programs.  The specific programs of interest are
>the Randolph-Sheppard program for licensed Blind Vendors and the Javitz
>Wagner O'Day program that requires the government to purchase goods and
>services from nonprofits that employ the blind or severely disabled.  It
>is critical that as many blind folks as can make it to Washington be
>present for this hearing.
> 
>            One of the functions of Congress is the oversight of
>government programs.  Neither of these programs has received
>congressional attention for many years.  The last oversight of the
>Randolph-Sheppard Act occurred in 1979, and there has been little if any
>congressional oversight of the Javitz-Wagner-O'Day act since it was
>substantially amended in the early 1970s.
> 
>            Staff who are planning this hearing have offered little
>information about the purpose for it, but we have some idea of the
>information that will be provided.  Mr. Gashel will testify, as will a
>NISH representative.  Mr. Gashel will stress the importance of the
>Randolph-Sheppard program because of the positive role vendors can play
>in the blind community.  He may contrast the purposes of the two
>programs, but he will primarily portray a positive picture of the
>Randolph-Sheppard program rather than attack the JWOD program.
> 
>Although the military dining issue has been a contentious issue between
>Randolph-Sheppard and NISH, it is not expected to be the primary focus
>of this hearing.  The lack of growth in the Randolph-Sheppard program
>and the failure of disabled employees of NISH to exchange their
>sheltered employment for competitive employment are topics of interest
>to the committee.  We need the support of all federationists who can
>attend to show HELP committee members the value to blind folks of the
>Randolph-Sheppard program.
> 
>            The hearing is scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm in the Dirksen
>Senate Office Building, room 430.  There will not be enough seats in
>that room so I expect that there will be a second room with an
>audio-video feed of the proceedings.  To assure that you get a seat, you
>will want to be there at least two hours before the start time so you
>should eat before arriving and bring a portable snack if desired (I do
>not think food or beverages are allowed in the hearing room, but you can
>step out and eat in the hall).  I am not sure how long the hearing will
>last, but plan on at least two hours.
> 
>Please make all efforts to join us for this critical oversight hearing
>that could indicate future legislation that would alter both the
>Randolph-Sheppard program and the JWOD program.  Through our numbers, we
>must demonstrate to members of the HELP Committee how valuable the
>Randolph-Sheppard program is to blind Americans.  If members propose
>changes to Randolph-Sheppard at some point after this hearing, they
>should know that the National Federation of the Blind will not tolerate
>changes that disadvantage blind Americans who benefit from this program.
> 
>With kind regards,
> 
>Joanne Wilson
>Executive Director of Affiliate Action
>Jernigan Institute
>National Federation of the Blind
>1800 Johnson Street
>Baltimore, MD 21230
>www.nfb.org
>(410) 659-9314 ext 2335
>(410) 659-5129 fax
>jwilson at nfb.org