Dear AER Professionals, Those of you working with young children and school-aged students are privileged to have such a rewarding vocation. Whether you are working in early intervention, our public schools or one of our specialized schools, you are making a positive impact on lives every day. I believe we are all lucky to have an opportunity to work in such a diverse and exciting area of education. We wake up every day with a really cool and fulfilling mission! Unfortunately, we all know of unmet needs across the entire country that we wish we could eliminate. Let’s quit wishing and do something about it! This begins with advocacy in your school district and in your state, but there is more that we can all do. Through the leadership of AER and 75 other organizations, there is a renewed focus and energy aimed at passing the Cogswell-Macy Act. This legislation if passed in large-part or in whole will improve educational outcomes for children who are visually impaired or blind, deaf and hard of hearing and deafblind. If you do not know how this legislation would benefit your current or future students, please visit https://cogswellmacyact.org/ to find out more. You will find sample letters and directions on how you can advocate by contacting your Senator or member of Congress. Please consider sharing this information with parents as well. In the attached letter you will read that “Family members are THE most important influence in the life of a child.” We all know this is the truth and that parents have the most influence in making the proposed changes. It certain, though, that nothing will change substantially, unless both families and professionals team up to make our voices heard. You are all awesome. We have so many great things going on across the country, but the truth is we can do much better. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l8P7tgxOiU&t=2s Please see below that the Council of Schools and Services for the Blind has an Advocacy Day planned in Washington D.C. on March 25th. If you would like to attend, read the information and click on the link to register. Sincerely, Paul H. Olson President of the Council of Schools and Services for the Blind North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind (701) 795-2717 [logo] Dear Advocate for the Blind and Visually Impaired: You can make a significant impact in the lives of blind and visually impaired people by participating in COSB's Advocacy Day. March 25, 2020 Washington, DC R<https://cosbvi.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fb1ba4a9980b29bc828e6cb0&id=7cb381565b&e=f5ac487eb2>EGISTER NOW!<https://cosbvi.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fb1ba4a9980b29bc828e6cb0&id=041dd9cb0f&e=f5ac487eb2> During our Advocacy Day, COSB will host over 100 people who care about legislation affecting those who are blind or visually impaired. To influence this legislation, we will meet with members of Congress at the Capitol and educate them about the Cogswell-Macy Act. You don't want to miss out on this influential opportunity! R<https://cosbvi.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fb1ba4a9980b29bc828e6cb0&id=85f7bf6cac&e=f5ac487eb2>EGISTER NOW!<https://cosbvi.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fb1ba4a9980b29bc828e6cb0&id=6617ce2b8a&e=f5ac487eb2> All you have to do is register and show up. We will take care of everything else! After you register, we will schedule meetings with members of Congress from your home state. Then we will help you prepare for those meetings by convening at the Capitol Hill Hotel the morning of March 25th. Reserve a room at the Capitol Hill Hotel 200 C St SE, Washington, DC 20003<https://cosbvi.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fb1ba4a9980b29bc828e6cb0&id=f954953607&e=f5ac487eb2> For Advocacy Day participants who would like to stay at the Capitol Hill Hotel, we have reserved a small room block at a discounted rate for check in on March 24th and check out on March 25th. To get the discount, call the Capitol Hill Hotel at 202.543.6000 and request a room within the COSB room block. The room block will quickly sell out. So reserve your room now. R<https://cosbvi.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fb1ba4a9980b29bc828e6cb0&id=848b3b83ed&e=f5ac487eb2>EGISTER NOW!<https://cosbvi.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fb1ba4a9980b29bc828e6cb0&id=49f4c6c145&e=f5ac487eb2> As we prepare for Advocacy Day, familiarize yourself with the Cogswell-Macy Act. The Cogswell-Macy Act will · ensure specialized instruction specifically for students who are visually impaired, deafblind, or deaf or hard of hearing. · increase the availability of services and resources by ensuring all students who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deafblind are accounted for. · enhance accountability at the state and federal levels. · increase research into best practices for teaching and evaluating students with visual impairments by establishing the Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence—a collaborative consortium of nonprofits, higher education institutions, and other agencies to provide technical support, research assistance, and professional development. READ MORE<https://cosbvi.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4fb1ba4a9980b29bc828e6cb0&id=57057fcfb1&e=f5ac487eb2>