As part of the 2023 D.C. Leadership Conference, we will conduct a virtual Legislative Seminar on the afternoons of Monday, March 6, and Tuesday, March 7. This will be held virtually to educate as many individuals as possible regarding our advocacy priorities. The in-person portion of the D.C. Leadership Conference will follow on Thursday, March 9, through Sunday, March 12. We recommend affiliates make a coordinated decision on how they wish to handle Hill meetings with members of Congress the week of Monday, March 13.
Congressional offices are once again open to outside visitors with appointments. Guests to Capitol Hill are no longer required to have an escort when entering or travelling the halls of House and Senate office buildings. That said, many affiliates may appreciate the increased flexibility of conducting virtual meetings with members of Congress, and not all members of Congress are conducting in-person meetings. If your affiliate makes the decision to conduct in-person meetings, we recommend contacting the office for your member of Congress and requesting an in-person meeting while you are in Washington, D.C.
To schedule meetings with your Representatives and Senators, we recommend calling your member’s Washington, D.C. office, or sending them an email. Some offices request constituents send meeting requests via a form on their website. Below are links to contact information for the U.S. House and Senate, as well as a call script and email form to get you started. Please share a complete list of scheduled meetings with the ACB National Office, and let us know if you have any questions at [email protected].
U.S. Capitol Switchboard – (202) 224-3121
Call this number and request to be connected with your Representative’s or Senator’s Washington, D.C. office.
U.S. House of Representatives Contact Information – (202) 225-3121
https://www.house.gov/representatives
U.S. Senate Contact Information – https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
Call Script
Hi, my name is __________, and I am a resident of (City, State, Zip Code). I am a member of the American Council of the Blind, and we would like to meet with Representative/Senator (Last Name) to share issues of concern and interest to those of us who are blind and low vision. We would like to request a meeting the week of Monday, March 13, through Friday, March 17, to discuss: the Exercise and Fitness for All Act; the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act; the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act; and, the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act, and to share their significance for people who are blind and low vision. Is the Representative/Senator or their staff available to meet with me and other members of the (insert affiliate name here) sometime the week of March 13 – 17? (If seeking an in-person meeting in Washington D.C., please include the specific date(s) that you are seeking the in-person meeting.)
Email Script
The Honorable (Member’s Full Name):
My name is ________, and I am a resident of (City, State, Zip Code). My colleagues and I are requesting a meeting with the (Senator or Representative) the week of March 13 - Friday, March 17, if at all possible, but certainly are willing to work with the (Representative’s or Senator’s) schedule. We will be taking part in the American Council of the Blind’s Legislative Seminar the week of March 6, and would appreciate an opportunity to speak with Representative/Senator (Last Name) about four key initiatives impacting the blind community: the Exercise and Fitness for All Act, Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act, the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act, and the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act.
Is the Representative/Senator or their staff available to meet with me and other members of the (insert affiliate name here) the week of March 13 - 17? (Be more specific with your date range if you are seeking an in-person meeting in D.C.)
As active members of the (insert affiliate name here), we look forward to having an opportunity to discuss these issues which impact millions of people who are blind and low vision in [Insert Your State] and the entire United States.
Respectfully,
Name, Title within Affiliate
Affiliate Name
Email Address
Phone Number