[Colorado-Talk] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert 3/19/2020

[Dan Burke]

Good morning –

This is further info to help you call or write our two Senators to
voice our concern over Sen. Lamar Alexander’s proposal that could
suspend services to blind and other children with disabilities under
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It is
impossible to see how depriving a blind child of braille services or
orientation and mobility would stimulate the American economy, even
though we know that none of us are doing much cane travel right now.
We need to do this today. Stephanie Flint at our national Jernigan
Institute sent this alert out yesterday. Please, please call or write
to both Sen. Bennet's and Sen. Gardner’s offices. As Stephanie said
yesterday, the phones may be swamped right now, but if e-mailing isn’t
a possibility for you, give a call. I just called both offices. Sen.
Gardner’s system allowed me to select item one and leave a message.
Sen. Bennet’s staff picked up and will take your message about
Maintaining services for blind kids. They are all tele-working in that
office.

BTW, I also wished both Senators the best in terms of their health and
their staffs as well. Both Bennet and Gardner have been exposed to
someone who later tested positive for COVID-19.


Sen. Michael Bennet
DC Office: 202-224-5852
Toll Free: 866-455-9866
Phone: 303-455-7600
Online e-mail form:
https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/write-to-michael

Sen. Cory Gardner
DC Office:  202-224-5941
Online e-mail form:
https://www.gardner.senate.gov/contact-cory/email-cory

If you can’t get through on the phone to the DC office, other offices
for Sen. Gardner are listed on this page, including phone number for
Greeley, Grand Junction, Durango, Denver and more:
https://www.gardner.senate.gov/contact-cory/office-locations


Here again is the sample letter from Stephanie. If you are calling,
you might just simply state that you oppose Sen. Alexander’s
provisions in the stimulus package that could lead to the suspension
of IDEA and the rights of kids with disabilities to get the services
they need.

  # # #
"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a constituent of [your
senator]. I live in [city, state]. I am calling to urge [your senator]
to oppose Senator Lamar Alexander’s provision to waive all IDEA
requirements. While the COVID-19 outbreak has placed a tremendous and
unprecedented strain on schools and districts, it is imperative that
we work together to find solutions that allow children to receive
equal access to an education and the services that support them
without undoing all of their civil and educational rights. I am
writing as a concerned (parent, teacher, blind person, etc.) to urge
you to reject any provision that would provide waiver authority to the
Secretary of Education regarding the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). Over seven million children rely on IDEA to
receive special education supports and services. I hope you will help
schools by providing states with additional funding that can be used
to provide teachers, school leaders, and families with the tools they
need to connect to teach and support students. Please support the
students with disabilities and their families that rely upon the IDEA
to have equal access to education.

Sincerely,
(Your Name)”


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Flynt, Stephanie via NFBNet-Members-List"
<nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2020 20:20:35 +0000
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert 3/19/2020
To: "nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org" <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>

My Federation Brothers and Sisters:

It has come to our attention that IDEA Rights May Be Waived by
Congress! As part of the Senate’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak,
Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) has proposed to include a provision in
the pending stimulus bill that would give the Secretary of Education
authority to approve state waiver requests for any statutory and/or
regulatory requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) for one year and extensions may also apply. The stimulus
package is expected to drop as early as this weekend. This provision
would be detrimental for children with disabilities. Covered entities
such as Child Find, a free appropriate public education (FAPE),
Individualized Education Program (IEP), all procedural safeguards,
re-evaluations, related services and accommodations and more are at
great risk.
We cannot allow this provision to pass.

Take Action NOW!

Currently offices are swamped with phone calls, so it may be better to
email your two senators and urge them to oppose the Alexander IDEA
Waiver provision.

When you call or email, you might say something like the following:

"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a constituent of [your
senator]. I live in [city, state]. I am calling to urge [your senator]
to oppose Senator Lamar Alexander’s provision to waive all IDEA
requirements. While the COVID-19 outbreak has placed a tremendous and
unprecedented strain on schools and districts, it is imperative that
we work together to find solutions that allow children to receive
equal access to an education and the services that support them
without undoing all of their civil and educational rights. I am
writing as a concerned (parent, teacher, blind person, etc.) to urge
you to reject any provision that would provide waiver authority to the
Secretary of Education regarding the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). Over seven million children rely on IDEA to
receive special education supports and services. I hope you will help
schools by providing states with additional funding that can be used
to provide teachers, school leaders, and families with the tools they
need to connect to teach and support students. Please support the
students with disabilities and their families that rely upon the IDEA
to have equal access to education.

Sincerely,
(Your Name)”

Please note that due to the rapidly evolving legislation concerning
the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we find ourselves needing to
focus on multiple issues simultaneously. Therefore, this legislative
alert is in addition to yesterday’s alert on the ATAA. Please be sure
to speak with or write to your senators and representative on both of
these critical priorities.

You can contact your senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard and
asking for the office in question. The number is 202-224-3121. If you
email your senators, please copy Stephanie Flynt at
sflynt at nfb.org<mailto:sflynt at nfb.org>. Your calls and emails do make a
difference.

It is best to call or email the relevant education staffer in your
member of Congress's office. If you need the name and email of the
appropriate staff person for any Senate  office, please email Jesa
Medders at jmedders at nfb.org<mailto:jmedders at nfb.org>.


Federationally Yours,
Stephanie


Stephanie Flynt
Government Affairs Specialist
National Federation of the Blind

P (410) 659-9314, Extension 2210
E: sflynt at nfb.org<mailto:sflynt at nfb.org>

www.nfb.org/advocacy<http://www.nfb.org/advocacy>

Disclaimer

The information contained in this communication from the sender is
confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and
others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are
hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking
action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly
prohibited and may be unlawful.

This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been
automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a
Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place
for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving
and compliance. To find out more visit the Mimecast website.



-- 
Dan Burke

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Legislative Coordinator

President, NFB of Denver

"Blindness is not what holds you back.  You can live the life you want!"

My Cell:  406.546.8546
Twitter:  @DallDonal