Tom Page ’97, and Jill Miller ’01 traveled to Washington, D.C., for a May 26 rally in front of the Department of Education.
Selected by the National Federation of the Blind of Kansas as representatives, Page and Miller delivered letters from the NFB of Kansas and the Kansas Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired to members of the Kansas Congressional delegation.
“Participation in the process was an education,” Page comments.
The rally and lobbying effort was spurred by proposed program cuts within the Department of Education, the agency responsible for prevocational training of the disabled. Page explains, “If these changes go forward, the disabled of America will face significant new hurdles to pursuing employment and independence.”
Miller and Page joined with 1,300 other disabled persons representing 44 organizations from every state and Puerto Rico. “It was an honor to be selected to represent the NFB of Kansas at this event,” Miller says. “While some may think these issues affect only a few, anyone can become disabled. Without prevocational programs, without employment for disabled people and support for their employers, the lives of Americans with disabilities will suffer.”
