Guest guest Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 NDSC and NDSS Urge the Down Syndrome Community to Take Action Today! Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act - ANOTHER CRITICAL VOTE SOON! The development of up-to-date, accurate and evidence-based information should never be a partisan issue. The Senate may soon hold another critical vote on S. 3297, the Advancing America's Priorities Act, a package of 35 bills which includes the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act (S. 1810), introduced by Senators Kennedy (D-MA) and Brownback (R-KS). This may be the first of several votes on S. 3297. However, this first vote likely will determine whether the Senate passes the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act this year! Therefore, please contact your Senators immediately and tell your friends, family, colleagues - and everyone you know - to do so as well. Urge your Senators to vote YES on S. 3297. Even if you already have contacted your Senators this week, your outreach is still needed. We want to fill Senator's inboxes and make it clear that they must pass the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act this year. Letters you can personalize and send to your Senators are available in the Advocacy Action Center of the NDSS website, here: http://capwiz.com/ndss/home/ <http://capwiz.com/ndss/home/> . If you don't know the names of your Senators, don't worry. The Advocacy Action Center automatically will identify them for you and enable you to contact them directly from the site. Talking Points Please use the following talking points when you call your Senators' offices today: I am a <self-advocate, parent, grandparent, family member, etc.> of the Down syndrome community calling to urge my Senator to vote YES on S. 3297. The two national organizations, National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC), representing over 400,000 individuals with Down syndrome and their families, also support the passage of this bipartisan legislation. The S. 3297 bill includes, Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act, which is a bipartisan compromise that will promote and develop up-to-date, evidence based information and materials for parents who, increasingly in the 21st century, receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome and other genetic conditions. This is a nonpartisan issue that affects all of our children and adults with Down syndrome and their families. The development of up-to-date, accurate and evidence-based information should never be a partisan issue. ~ Scholarships for Participants with Disabilities ~ National Conference on Disability Inclusion and National Service: Acting Today to Shape the Future October 16-18, 2008, Hilton andria Mark Center. andria VA The National Service Inclusion Project has available a number of (up to) $1000 scholarships for individuals with disabilities who wish to attend the National Conference on Disability Inclusion and National Service: Acting Today to Shape the Future. This funding has been made available through the Corporation for National and Community Service, and is reimbursable for travel and lodging only. This conference is designed to bring together members from the national service network and the disability community to focus on issues related to actively engaging people with disabilities in national service and community volunteerism. Please see www.serviceandinclusion.org If you are an individual with a disability or would like to recommend someone that would benefit from attending this conference, please forward name(s) along with contact information and a brief justification to NSIP@... by October 8, 2008. Scholarships are available on a first come first served basis and are reimbursable upon submission of required documentation. For further information or to register on-line, please go to: www.serviceandinclusion.org <http://www.serviceandinclusion.org/> . You may also contact NSIP at 1- (voice/TTY) or NSIP@... with any questions. We will be happy to make any reasonable accommodation available, just indicate your preferences in the registration. National Conference on Disability Inclusion and National Service: Acting Today to Shape the Future October 16-18, 2008 - Hilton andria Mark Center, andria, VA For more information and to register, visit http://www.serviceandinclusion.org <http://www.serviceandinclusion.org/> ************************************** We have another opportunity to help define balanced information about Down syndrome by taking part in this survey created for a Genetic Counseling Master’s Thesis project. Visit the site below, and take part in this brief survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=4PH0aW70hR_2bgfvqxUJfwHw_3d_3d%22%3eClick <http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=4PH0aW70hR_2bgfvqxUJfwHw_3d_3d%22%3eClick> *************************************************************** Help Spread the News! The NDSC’s Governmental Affairs Newsline is an excellent resource and one we encourage you to share with your parent group affiliate, or personal, listserv. (If you no longer wish to receive these email updates, please go to our website, and click on “Contact Us”.) Support Our Advocacy Work! ************************************************************************ How to Join the NDSC Founded in 1972, the NDSC is the oldest national organization for persons with Down syndrome, their parents, siblings and the professionals who work with them. The Congress is known for its advocacy, its encouragement of self-advocate empowerment and leadership, as well as its many services, including Down Syndrome News, the Governmental Affairs Newsline, hosting the nation’s largest DS convention (July 31 to August 2, 2009 in Sacramento, CA) and its toll-free information and resource hotline. Annual dues are just $25, and may be paid online at www.ndsccenter.org <http://www.ndsccenter.org/> ; over the phone at 800/232-6372; or by mail at 1370 Center Drive, Suite 102; Atlanta, GA 30338. Please join us as we continue “Making a difference, one family at a time”! ************************************************* If you have questions or comments, please e-mail g1961@... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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