Please see the exchanges below between myself and a dedicated AER member in Florida. Comments? Advice? A great deal of the work that needs to be done must occur at the State level. Tony From: jchalom@infocusmobility.com [mailto:jchalom@infocusmobility.com] Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2017 8:49 PM To: Anthony Candela Subject: RE: [AERNet] Legislative Committee Advisory Hi Tony, Thanks, I'm a district director for Div 9 and active in the EAC so I'll pass it by both of them. Please let me know what the Legislative Committee thinks. Warm Regards, JoAnne JoAnne Chalom,COMS,Ed.S. Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist Orientation & Mobility Solution Providers <http://www.InFocusMobility.com> www.infocusmobility.com Tel: 954 261-9226 Fax: 954 340-4966 Cage Code 5VW14 The information in this E-mail message is privileged and confidential information intended only for the use of the individual(s) named above. If you, the reader of this message, are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you should not further disseminate, distribute, copy or forward this E-mail message. This is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original. Thank you. Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: RE: [AERNet] Legislative Committee Advisory From: "Anthony Candela" < <mailto:acandela@juno.com> acandela@juno.com> Date: Thu, August 31, 2017 8:24 pm To: < <mailto:jchalom@infocusmobility.com> jchalom@infocusmobility.com> Hello Joanne, Thank you so much for your great ideas and initiative. Your proposals are most definitely in the spirit of what we are all about. I suggest you consult with Division 9 on the white cane violation fine just in case someone has experience and a good dollar #. If you could get your representative to sponsor a blindness professionals appreciation day bill, I bet it would fly. I will float your ideas past the Legislative Committee to get their ideas as well. Best, Tony From: <mailto:jchalom@infocusmobility.com> jchalom@infocusmobility.com [ <mailto:jchalom@infocusmobility.com> mailto:jchalom@infocusmobility.com] Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2017 6:24 PM To: Anthony Candela Subject: RE: [AERNet] Legislative Committee Advisory Hi Tony, In the process of putting together a presentation on White Cane Laws, I noticed that Florida's law has not been updated since 1996 (21 years). Do you mind if I reach out to my state reps and see if they can update some of the terminology and increase the penalties. Maybe it is me, but I think sixty bucks is a pretty small fine for failing to yield to a pedestrian with a white cane. Here are the links ( <http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.1301.html> http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.1301.html) ( <http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.1301.html> http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.1301.html) <http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0318/Sections/0318.21.html> http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0318/Sections/0318.21.html Scroll down to 318.18(d)(3)(a) and (f) I'm reaching out to my reps as a private citizen, but won't mind your two cents before I send off my letter to my state reps. What do you think? Also, I just attended a Town Hall with my Congressman (Ted Deutch) and thought about reaching out to see if those of us in micro fields such as O&M could have a day, or week to 'appreciate' us. I can't find one specific to our field, the closest I found is World Blindness Awareness Month (October). Teacher appreciation is celebrated in May, but it doesn't cover everyone in our micro fields. It's a feel good idea and quite frankly it would be good p.r. if it had bipartisan sponsorship. Thanks for listening, JoAnne Chalom JoAnne Chalom,COMS,Ed.S. Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist Orientation & Mobility Solution Providers <http://www.InFocusMobility.com> www.infocusmobility.com Tel: 954 261-9226 Fax: 954 340-4966 Cage Code 5VW14 The information in this E-mail message is privileged and confidential information intended only for the use of the individual(s) named above. If you, the reader of this message, are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you should not further disseminate, distribute, copy or forward this E-mail message. This is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original. Thank you. Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: RE: [AERNet] Legislative Committee Advisory From: "Anthony Candela" < <mailto:acandela@juno.com> acandela@juno.com> Date: Mon, December 12, 2016 8:17 am To: < <mailto:jchalom@infocusmobility.com> jchalom@infocusmobility.com> Hi Joanne, Thank you for your note. I like your offer of action-oriented assistance. We need approaches that will enable us to be heard loud and clear and quickly and consistently, but as you can tell, we currently have only the one (hardly enforceable) strategy (writing) that allows us to deal with the unpredictable environment we are facing. When we hit the "Hill", you will be part of the "force", but in the meantime, your thoughts about other more action-oriented approaches would be appreciated. I do remember you and feel comfortable saying, "Welcome to the team." Tony -----Original Message----- From: <mailto:jchalom@infocusmobility.com> jchalom@infocusmobility.com [ <mailto:jchalom@infocusmobility.com> mailto:jchalom@infocusmobility.com] Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2016 7:07 PM To: Anthony Candela Subject: RE: [AERNet] Legislative Committee Advisory Dear Tony, It was a pleasure meeting you at AERI in Jacksonville. You might remember me, I presented there on the topic of autonomous vehicles. I've decided that I refuse to sit back and let our country implode or as an alternative move back to my native country, Canada. How can I help the legislative advisory committee ? I'm more of an action oriented person than a letter writer. Thanks, JoAnne JoAnne Chalom,COMS,Ed.S. Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist Orientation & Mobility Solution Providers <http://www.infocusmobility.com> www.infocusmobility.com Tel: 954 261-9226 Fax: 954 340-4966 Cage Code 5VW14 The information in this E-mail message is privileged and confidential information intended only for the use of the individual(s) named above. If you, the reader of this message, are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you should not further disseminate, distribute, copy or forward this E-mail message. This is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original. Thank you. Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [AERNet] Legislative Committee Advisory From: "Anthony Candela" < <mailto:acandela@juno.com> acandela@juno.com> Date: Sat, December 10, 2016 7:42 pm To: < <mailto:aernet@lists.aerbvi.org> aernet@lists.aerbvi.org> Dear AER Members, Your AER Legislative Committee met on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 for a focused discussion on what we can anticipate under the upcoming Trump Administration. For the moment, things remain unpredictable, but federal funding cutbacks and funding shifts to the States and localities might be in the offing. Departments of Education and Labor policy shifts are reasonable to expect given the conservative nominees President-elect Trump has put forward for Secretaries of Education and Labor. Your Legislative Committee will be stepping up its attention and calls for action as things begin to unfold. We wish to advise all AER members that it is more important than ever to keep in touch with your federal and State representatives as issues evolve. Your voice must be heard. To that end, the easiest way to locate your representatives is via the League of Women Voters web site: <http://hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5950/getLocal.jsp?zip=20124&zip4> http://hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5950/getLocal.jsp?zip=20124&zip4= Rebecca Sheffield, AFB Policy analyst, advises that this site enables you to enter your zip code and “get a list of all your elected officials, including contact information and email, from the U.S. President all the way down to county supervisors.” Another (perhaps more accessible) site is: <https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials> https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials Please look up your federal, State, and local representatives, store in a convenient place their e-mail addresses and be ready to write to them when an important issue is at hand. Your Legislative Committee, AER staff, and AER subject matter experts will keep you appraised of issues as they unfold. Thank you for your support. Anthony R. Candela, Matt Hogel, co-Chairs AER Legislative Committee ____________________________________________________________ The Root of All Stomach Problems? Gut Health Research <http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3142/584ca1061321621055b35st01duc> http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3142/584ca1061321621055b35st01duc You are subscribed to AERNet, The Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired Listserv. To post a message to all the list members, send an email to <mailto:aernet@lists.aerbvi.org> aernet@lists.aerbvi.org. 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