Washington Seminar
2025 Washington Seminar Application
Deadline:
A completed application form in accessible electronic format (i.e. rtf, .doc, .docx, .txt), including electronic signature MUST be submitted to NFBI President at president@nfbofillinois.org no later than December 1, 2024. This form can be completed and submitted by typing your answers and your signature and attaching it to your email.
Who should apply:
This form applies to members of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois who wish to represent the affiliate at Washington Seminar whether or not assistance is sought from NFBI. It must be returned to our affiliate president via e-mail on or before December 1. Our attendees must arrive by Sunday night and leave no earlier than 7:00pm on Wednesday evening. Mandatory training calls will occur before Washington Seminar and a mandatory rap up conference call will occur after Washington Seminar. Failure to comply with any requirements of the program may lead to ineligibility in the future.
Duties of representatives:
All representatives must:
- Submit their specific confirmed itinerary for arrival and departure to the Washington Seminar coordinators no later than December 23.
- Reserve their room at the Holiday Inn Capitol Hill.
- Attend local teleconference training sessions which will occur in mid-January. These trainings will cover protocols such as the need for representatives to attend assigned appointments and fulfill specific roles as scheduled.
- Attend the afternoon training session in Washington on Monday unless assigned to another commitment at that time and attend the Great Gathering-In.
- All representatives must be available to attend appointments based upon their submitted, confirmed itinerary.
- Attend a mandatory wrap up conference call after Washington Seminar.
- Representatives are expected to contact at least one federal legislator following the Washington Seminar in order to follow-up on the discussions and garner or confirm support for our initiatives.
Failure to comply with any requirements of the program, may lead to ineligibility in the future.
Selection process and criteria:
All applications will be considered by the Chappell/Dennis Award Committee. The Committee will consult with Federal Legislative Committee Chairs. NFBI wishes to choose no more than 9 representatives to represent the affiliate at appointments during Washington Seminar. The Committee shall attempt to approve:
- no more than 5 veteran representatives,
- at least 3 first-time representatives,
- up to 3 students,
- Up to 3 parents,
- Up to 3 blind merchants
First, priority shall be granted to those from underrepresented geographic areas in the state. That is, the Committee shall attempt to ensure representation from as many different areas of the state as possible. Second, the committee shall consider year-round participation in state and federal legislative initiatives. Those who have actively contacted and/or visited their legislators shall be given priority over those who have not done so. The committee shall consider whether an applicant listed the correct congressman in weighing the applicant’s ability to follow up and participate in Washington Seminar activities and legislative initiatives. The same person may be counted in more than one category, e.g. a student may also be a new representative.
Application form:
2025 Washington Seminar Application(Word Document)