Assembly Sponsor Jonathan Bing (D, 73 District Manhattan) addresses the VRT O&M licensure supporters.
Well it wouldn’t be Lobby Day if there wasn’t bad weather - this year didn’t disappoint. Hard rain and snow in upstate NY meant only the hardiest of the hardy were on hand for the appointments. Supporters were lobbying for the bill A06179A/S 3880-A which provides for the licensing of licensed orientation and mobility specialists and vision rehabilitation therapists. (to read the text of the bill go to: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A06179%09%09&Summary=Y&Text=Y).
Individual supporters along with many from the American Council of the Blind New York, the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired – Goodwill, the Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Education, Aurora of Central New York, the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Helen Keller Services for the Blind, Hudson Valley Center for Independent Living, Hunter College, Lighthouse International, New York Institute for Special Education, and VISIONS Services for the Blind came to Albany on Tuesday.
About 90 supporters met with 75 represenatives. The message - we need VRT O&M Licensure NOW, NFB no longer opposes the bill, and now there are no obstacles to licensure. Let’s do it this year!
Many of those who could not attend became members, sent in memos of support or responded to the Lighthouse International Advocacy Alert email and called their representatives. These actions also contributed to the success of Lobby Day 2011.
The Senate Higher Education Committee members received a stack of memos in support of licensure from The New York Vision Rehabilitation Association, the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the American Foundation for the Blind, the American Council of the Blind New York, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, California State University of Los Angeles, the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired – Goodwill, the Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Education, Catholic Charities for the Blind, Helen Keller Services for the Blind, Hunter College Programs in Blindness and Visual Impairment, In Focus Mobility - JoAnne Chalom, VISIONS Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and several individuals including Chris Tabb, John Kelly, Dona Sauerburger and several Ophthalmologists.
Assembly Member Bing
Assembly Member Johnathan Bing (D, 73 District Manhattan) said the bill had 57 Assembly sponsors and 3 new sponsors had signed on that morning due to ACBNY’s Lobby Day on Monday April 4, 2011. He was confident more sponsors would result from these back-to-back lobby days. Bing indicated that momentum for the bill was strong. A majority of the members on the Assembly Higher Education committee continue to sponsor this legislation. He believes members of the Assembly understand the importance of this bill.
Steve Malito, NYVRA Government Relations Expert with Senate Sponsor Joseph A.Griffo, (R-C-IP, Rome).
Senator Griffo (R-C-IP, Rome) also addressed the bill supporters. He reminded us that the NY Senate had already passed this bill 62-0 in 2008 and, in 2010, again voted it out of the Higher Education Committee. Senator Griffo felt confident that the Licensure Bill would soon be on the Higher Education Committee agenda again this year!
Nancy Nancy Miller, President of NYVRA and our driving force, addresses the VRT O&M Licensure supporters.
NYVRA President Miller reported on the large uptick of members and letters of support from the broad coalition that includes many from outside New York. The recent meetings with leadership from NFB have resulted in several changes to the bill and NFB dopping its opposition to the legislation. One change was rewriting the justification section with less emphasis on safety and greater empahsis on empowerment. Another was to include NOMC and ACVREP as examples of national certification that currently exist in these fields of VRT and O&M.
Grace Ambrose-Zaken, Vice President of NYVRA and Organizer of Lobby Day speaks with Assembly Member Bing.
The Lobby Day Event made an even greater impact because, for the first time, VRT O&M Licensure was the only large group lobbying that day. Our supporters wore the distinctive black tee with yellow lettering. The front of the shirt read “Support Safe Vision Rehabilitation Services” the back read “VRT/O&M Licensure NOW!”
There is a great deal of momentum. Albany seems to be working together and we have wide base of support. Join NYVRA on twitter @future_LOMS and/or the Facebook group NY VRT O&M Licensure. In the coming weeks it will be important to call our Assembly Members and once again urge them to put our bill on the Higher Education agenda.
Please keep your letters coming and we will keep sending them out. Memos can be sent either as a PDF file to SAM@dmlegal.com or mailed to Nancy Miller, President, NYVRA 500 Greenwich St., New York, NY 10013.
