NEWSLETTER UPDATE – SEPTEMBER, 2011
FROM PHYLLIS F. RESNICK, PRESIDENT
HELLO AGAIN, EVERYBODY! We made the decision to lead with the article above in the hope of quickly getting your attention and exciting your interest! We deeply hope that we have succeeded and, if we have, there is here in our second newsletter of the New Year, so much to report; much of it exciting, some of it disturbing and all of it enlightening. We have had many, many requests for assistance with regard to the ADA (the Americans with Disabilities Act) and the FHA (Fair Housing Act – which governs multiple-dwelling units). We are also receiving many calls for assistance with regard to service animals. It continues to astonish us that in the year 2011, there remain vast pockets of ignorance of and non-compliance with the ADA, which was enacted into law in 1990! That is why your continuing support is so very, very important to us!
July 2010 marked the 20th anniversary of the passing into law of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA). It is difficult to believe and sad to contemplate that, even after all this time, we still receive pleas daily from people who are being denied their rights under this civil rights law.
As you may know, we have never required a membership fee for joining with us in our mission and we are NOT going to change that now. However, we have always stated that voluntary donations are welcomed and deeply appreciated, although we have never actually solicited them.
This year, however, is different, as it is for so many people. THEREFORE, WE ARE NOW ASKING FOR URGENTLY NEEDED VOLUNTARY DONATIONS IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR EFFORTS MOVING FORWARD. (Please remember that all donations to us are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.)
Any donation of any amount will, you may be certain, be put to good use as we pursue as much accessibility as possible for as many members of the disabled community as possible. To that end, we will now begin to send our twice-yearly newsletter by EMAIL TO THOSE WHO HAVE FURNISHED US WITH EMAIL ADDRESSES, thereby saving costs as well as trees. (Of course, for those who have not sent us an email “addy”, we will be mailing this newsletter via postal mail, as we have done in the past.) If you wish to receive this newsletter via email, please update us as to your current email addy. We look forward to hearing from you at any level of financial assistance which you feel able to provide. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!
I would like to thank all our members, worldwide, for their continued support and, in an abundance of optimism, our prospective members as well! And now, to our news–