Following the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, the world increasingly became more digital in nature. This also included state and local governments, which are required to make their communications with disabled residents accessible. In the years since, the courts have agreed that this accessibility requirement extends to websites and digital information. 

Beginning in 2010, the Department of Justice announced that it was planning to promulgate digital accessibility regulations for state and local government websites when it published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking. Over the course of the next fourteen years, this regulation was thoroughly researched, updated, commented on by the public, and debated, until ultimately in 2024 the final rule was released. 

Now, just days before the rule was supposed to go into effect, the Department of Justice published an interim final rule that delays that implementation for one year. We submitted our official response voicing our frustration and disappointment with the delay, and we are urging you to do the same. 

We are hoping that if we flood the Department of Justice with comments arguing against the delay, as well as any further modification to the ADA Title II website rule, they will fully understand how important this is to us. So please, submit a comment and let them know just how critical digital access to state and local government websites is for all Americans. 

Some particular stories you could mention include difficulty with paying state or local taxes online, paying a state regulated utility bill online, or inaccessible election websites. You shouldn’t necessarily mention the actions you took to solve the problem, just the problem itself. When you have your story, we urge you to submit your comments.

If you would like help in submitting your comments, please contact Justin Young at [email protected], or by phone at 410-659-9314, extension 2210.

About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org.

Government Affairs Contact

Justin Young 
Governmental Affairs Specialist
National Federation of the Blind
[email protected]

The Museum of the Blind People’s Movement, to be located at the National Federation of the Blind headquarters in Baltimore, will serve as a testament to our determined march toward progress and equal rights that the blind of the United States have been on for more than a century. The National Museum of the Blind People’s Movement Act, H.R. 6467/S. 3371, will serve to recognize that march by designating the museum as a national museum, granting the space, artifacts, and the stories contained within it the prestige they deserve.

As of right now, we have ten cosponsors in the House:

Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7] – SPONSOR
Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2]
Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7]
Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3]
Rep. Hoyer, Steny H. [D-MD-5]
Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4]
Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6]
Rep. Olszewski, Johnny [D-MD-2]
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]

The Senate has one cosponsor aside from the bill sponsor:

Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] – SPONSOR
Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela [D-MD]

If you did not read your representative or senator’s name on the above list, please contact their office and urge them to cosponsor the National Museum of the Blind People’s Movement Act, H.R. 6467/S. 3371.

Sample Script

When you call or email you might say: “My name is [YOUR NAME] and I want to urge [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME] to support the National Museum of the Blind People’s Movement Act, [H.R. 6467/S. 3371]. This bill will designate the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement, to be located at the National Federation of the Blind headquarters in Baltimore, as a national museum. Please cosponsor the National Museum of the Blind People’s Movement Act.”

We suggest a subject like: “Help us recognize the history of the blind people’s movement by cosponsoring [H.R. 6467/S. 3371].”

To find the contact information for your specific representative or senators’ office, please use the House spreadsheet or Senate spreadsheet. They are organized alphabetically by state. You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for the office in question.

If you are having trouble finding the contact information for your members of Congress, please contact Lindsey Walsh at [email protected].

If you email, please copy Justin Young at [email protected].

About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org.

Government Affairs Contact:

Jesse Shirek
Governmental Affairs Specialist
National Federation of the Blind 410-659-9314, extension 2348
[email protected]

The National Federation of the Blind, the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans, urges the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate to cosponsor the Blind Americans Return to Work Act, H.R. 1175/S. 4334.

This bill will help eliminate the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) earnings cliff by instituting a two-for-one phase out of benefits where every two dollars earned over the substantial gainful activity threshold will cause a one-dollar reduction in a beneficiary’s monthly payment.

Blind Americans Return to Work Act

The SSDI benefits program contains an earnings cliff that hinders blind individuals from achieving the American dream. This is, in effect, a penalty imposed on blind Americans when they work. Under current law, if a blind worker earns more than the substantial gainful activity threshold, even by just one dollar, they are not entitled to any benefits.

This causes blind employees to sometimes choose to remain unemployed, refuse promotions, or limit the number of hours we work to prevent the loss of our benefits. The Blind Americans Return to Work Act, H.R. 1175/S. 4334 will solve this problem by creating a gradual phaseout where employees would effectively give back one dollar of our benefits for every two dollars we earn over the substantial gainful activity threshold.

As of right now, we have 39 cosponsors in the House:
Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17] – SPONSOR 
Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6]
Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31]
Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]
Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8]
Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9]
Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]    
Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]
Rep. Crank, Jeff [R-CO-5]
Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6]
Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7]
Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large]
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Rep. Fine, Randy [R-FL-6]    
Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2]
Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6]
Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3]
Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2]
Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6]
Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2]
Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7]
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3]
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8]
Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3]
Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]    
Rep. Norcross, Donald [D-NJ-1]
Rep. Riley, Josh [D-NY-19]
Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1]    
Rep. Bice, Stephanie I. [R-OK-5]    
Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5]
Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16]
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]    
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]    
Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3]

The Senate has one cosponsor aside from the bill sponsor:
Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] – SPONSOR 
Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]

If you did not read your representative or senator’s name on the above list, please contact their office and urge them to cosponsor the Blind Americans Return to Work Act, H.R. 1175/S. 4334. Also, please keep in mind that while any cosponsor is helpful, it is especially helpful to gain cosponsors from the majority party. At this time, the Republican party has a majority in both the House and Senate, so please make it a point to reach out to Republican members of Congress.

We are hoping that a large surge of cosponsor support will give the bill a big momentum boost that will increase the chance of being included in one of the large legislative vehicles that are coming up. To do that, we need your help to spread the message of increased earnings potential and decreased dependence on government benefits to all members of Congress who have not yet signed onto the bill. We are asking that you call or email your representative and ask them to cosponsor the Blind Americans Return to Work Act.

When you call or email you might say:

"My name is [YOUR NAME] and I want to urge [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME] to support the Blind Americans Return to Work Act, [H.R. 1175/S. 4334]. This bill will eliminate the SSDI earnings cliff and incentivize more blind Americans to work in higher-paying and more productive jobs, which will in turn reduce dependence upon government benefits over time. Please cosponsor the Blind Americans Return to Work Act."

We suggest a subject like: "Help get more blind Americans back to work by cosponsoring [H.R. 1175/S. 4334]."

To find the contact information for your specific representative or senator’s office, please use the House spreadsheet or Senate spreadsheet. They are organized alphabetically by state. You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for the office in question.  

If you are having trouble finding the contact information for your members of Congress, please contact Lindsey Walsh at [email protected]. 

If you email, please copy Jesse Shirek at [email protected].

About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more.

Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org.

Government Affairs Contact

Jesse Shirek 
Governmental Affairs Specialist
National Federation of the Blind
410-659-9314, extension 2348
[email protected]

The National Federation of the Blind, the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans, urges the members of the House of Representatives to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA), H.R. 1529. This bill will help blind Americans afford the high cost of qualified access technology by creating a refundable tax credit of 2,000 dollars for use over a three-year period.

Access Technology Affordability Act

In 2017, the National Federation of the Blind first introduced the idea of a tax credit for the purchase of qualified access technology for the blind. We know this initiative would help blind Americans to better handle the high cost of access technology that we need in order to be able to search for, apply for, and maintain steady and fulfilling employment.

In turn, with more of us working, we would actually be paying more into the federal government through income and payroll taxes while at the same time becoming less dependent on government benefits. Over time, this increased employment and reduced dependence will save the federal government approximately 315 million dollars over the course of five years according to an analysis by Mathematica, an independent economic analysis firm. 

As of right now, we have 64 cosponsors in the House. The list of cosponsors is below:
Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16] – SPONSOR 
Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]
Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31]
Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]
Rep. Gomez, Jimmy [D-CA-34]
Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9]
Rep. Kiley, Kevin [R-CA-3]    
Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]
Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38]
Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]    
Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4]
Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]
Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43]
Rep. Crank, Jeff [R-CO-5]
Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6]
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16]
Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14]
Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]
Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5]
Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9]
Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17]
Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25]
Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]
Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2]
Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]
Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
Rep. LaHood, Darin [R-IL-16]
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2]
Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2]
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-4]
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8]
Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3]
Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]
Rep. Amodei, Mark E. [R-NV-2]
Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
Rep. Norcross, Donald [D-NJ-1]
Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]
Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]
Rep. Edwards, Chuck [R-NC-11]
Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1]
Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5]
Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4]
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]
Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3]
Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17]
Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33]
Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8]
Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4]
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
Rep. Walkinshaw, James R. [D-VA-11]
Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1]
Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1]
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3]
Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large]

If your member’s name already appears in the above list, we are asking you to try something new. Contact your representative and urge them to contact the office of Chairman Jason Smith [R-MO-8]. Representative Smith is the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, which is the committee of jurisdiction for the ATAA.

If you call your rep who is already cosponsoring ATAA, encourage them to contact Chairman Smith and urge him to include the Access Technology Affordability Act in the next big legislative vehicle. If you did not read your member of Congress’s name on the above list, please contact their office and urge them to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act, H.R. 1529.  

We are hoping that a large surge of cosponsor support will give the bill a big momentum boost that will increase the chance of being included in one of the large legislative vehicles that are coming up. To do that, we need your help to spread the message of independence and savings to all members of Congress who have not yet signed onto the bill. We are asking that you call or email your representative and ask them to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act.

Sample Script

When you call or email you might say:

“My name is [YOUR NAME] and I want to urge [REPRESENTATIVE NAME] to support the Access Technology Affordability Act, H.R. 1529. This bill will save the federal government an estimated 315 million dollars over the span of five years according to Mathematica, a well-respected economic firm. It will do this by creating a 2,000 dollar refundable tax credit for blind people for the purchase of specialized access technology.

This technology will help blind people search for a job, apply for a job, and then keep that job, which in turn increases the number of blind Americans who are working and paying into programs like Social Security and decreases the number of blind Americans who receive government benefits. Please help the blind of America achieve economic independence by cosponsoring the Access Technology Affordability Act.”

We suggest a subject like: “H.R. 1529 will save the federal government 315 million dollars over five years”

To find the contact information for your specific representative’s office, please download the House spreadsheet. It is organized alphabetically by state. You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for the office in question.  

If you are having trouble finding the contact information for your members of Congress, please contact Lindsey Walsh at [email protected]. 

If you email, please copy Jesse Shirek at [email protected].

About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more.

Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org.

Government Affairs Contact

Jesse Shirek 
Governmental Affairs Specialist
National Federation of the Blind
410-659-9314, extension 2348
[email protected]

The National Federation of the Blind, the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans, urges both the House and Senate to pass the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA), H.R. 1529/S. 1918. This bill will help blind Americans afford the high cost of qualified access technology by creating a refundable tax credit of 2,000 dollars for use over a three-year period.

We have gained multiple cosponsors on the ATAA following our advocacy in DC during the Washington Seminar and we want to keep that momentum going! This is a time for us to strike while the iron is hot and really push to get this bill passed while there is a major emphasis on government savings, which we are confident the ATAA will help to facilitate. 

Access Technology Affordability Act

Since 2017, the National Federation of the Blind has been working to get a tax credit for the purchase of qualified access technology for the blind passed into law. We believe that this would help blind Americans to better handle the high cost of access technology that we need in order to be able to search for, apply for, and maintain steady and fulfilling employment.

In turn, with more of us working, we would actually be paying more into the federal government through income and payroll taxes while at the same time becoming less dependent on government benefits. Over time, this increased employment and reduced dependence will save the federal government approximately $315 million dollars over the course of five years according to an analysis by Mathematica. 

As of right now, we have 58 cosponsors in the House and nine in the Senate. Lists for both of those are as follows:

House

Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16] – SPONSOR 
Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]
Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31]
Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]
Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9]
Rep. Kiley, Kevin [R-CA-3]    
Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]
Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38]
Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]    
Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4]
Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]
Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43]
Rep. Crank, Jeff [R-CO-5]
Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6]
Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16]
Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14]
Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]
Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5]
Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9]
Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17]
Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25]
Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2]
Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]
Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
Rep. LaHood, Darin [R-IL-16]
Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2]
Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2]
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-4]
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8]
Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3]
Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]
Rep. Amodei, Mark E. [R-NV-2]
Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
Rep. Norcross, Donald [D-NJ-1]
Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]
Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]
Rep. Edwards, Chuck [R-NC-11]
Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1]
Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5]
Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4]
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]
Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3]
Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17]
Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33]
Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8]
Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4]
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
Rep. Walkinshaw, James R. [D-VA-11]
Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1]
Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1]
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3]
Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large]

Senate

Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR] – SPONSOR 
Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]
Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND]
Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]

We are hoping that a large surge of cosponsor support will give the bill big momentum boost that will ultimately get it passed, but we need your help to spread that message of independence and savings to all members of Congress who have not yet signed onto the bill. We are asking that you call or email both of your Senators and your Representative and ask them to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act.

Sample Script

When you call or email you might say:

“My name is [YOUR NAME] and I want to urge [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME] to support the Access Technology Affordability Act, [H.R. 1529/S 1918]. This bill will save the federal government an estimated 315 million dollars over the span of five years according to Mathematica, a well-respected economic firm.

It will do this by creating a 2,000 dollar refundable tax credit for blind people for the purchase of specialized access technology. This technology will help blind people search for a job, apply for a job, and then keep that job, which in turn increases the number of blind Americans who are working and paying into programs like Social Security and decreases the number of blind Americans who receive government benefits. Please help the blind of America achieve economic independence by cosponsoring the Access Technology Affordability Act.”

We suggest a subject like: “H.R. 1529/S. 1918 will save the federal government 315 million dollars over five years”

To find the contact information for your specific senators’ or representative’s office, please download the Senate or the House spreadsheet. They are organized alphabetically by state. You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for the office in question.  

If you are having trouble finding the contact information for your members of Congress, please contact Lindsey Walsh at [email protected]. 

If you email, please copy Jesse Shirek at [email protected].

About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more.

Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org.

Government Affairs Contact

Jesse Shirek 
Governmental Affairs Specialist
National Federation of the Blind
410-659-9314, extension 2348
[email protected]