Thanks to everyone who took the time to contact their legislators regarding signing on the video description bill. We are making steady progress! People have truly risen to the challenge and we are seeing the results. As of today there are 8 new co-sponsors on HR 951! Way to go ACB!
The new co-sponsors are:
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA)
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)
Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH)
Rep. James P. McGovern (D-MA)
Rep. James P. Moran (D-VA)
Rep. Collin C. Peterson (D-MN)
Rep. Albert Russell Wynn (D-MD)
That brings our total up to 12 new co-sponsors and there are a couple more legislators who we have been told signed on but their names haven't been posted yet.
Congratulations to Texas with three co-sponsors and Pennsylvania and Maryland with two co-sponsors each. And special thanks to Tennessee and Florida who are lobbying extremely hard to get these bills passed.
The word is spreading and people are responding. Not just us, but our family and friends, our neighbors, our postmen and teachers, our grocery store owners, our church communities. The ACB office is getting inquiries from New York, California, Wisconsin, Texas, Montana, Louisiana, Arkansas - from people who want to know about video description and want to help.
This is a wonderful start, but the job isn't done. We need to continue on this initiative that that we have started together. ACB really is leading the way and it is up to us to continue reaching out to our communities, educating them and encouraging them to contact their legislators and get S 900 and HR 951 passed.
In addition to contacting the legislators from your state, now is the time to start contacting the Committee chairs and ranking members of Congress and ask them to mark-up the bills and move them to the floor for a vote. For HR 951, the House Committee Chair is Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) and the ranking minority member is Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI). For S 900, the Senate Committee Chair is Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) and the ranking minority member is Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI).
You can reach your legislator via the capitol switchboard at: House - 202-225-3121 and Senate - 202-224-3121 or via email through the
Congressional websites: www.senate.gov and www.house.gov.
We need to let them know that bills are non-controversial, cost the government no money and offer significant positive results not only for people who are blind and visually impaired, but also for seniors and for children. Congress must reinstate the video description mandate so that all citizens can access vital cultural, educational and emergency information available through television programming. Together we can do it!
Good luck!
Day Al-Mohamed
Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
American Council of the Blind
1155 15th St. NW
Washington DC 20005
Tel. 202-467-5081
dalmohamed@acb.org