Washington Seminar

The Washington Seminar is an annual event of the National Federation of the Blind where hundreds of members of the NFB come together in Washington, DC to learn about and advocate for legislative initiatives that will improve the lives of blind Americans.

A crowd gives a standing ovation to President Mark A. Riccobono during the 2018 Washington Seminar.

Approximately three legislative initiatives are chosen for priority attention each year. These initiatives are selected from official positions of the NFB and can address concerns in the following areas: relevant civil rights issues; educational programs and services; rehabilitation of the blind for competitive employment; the operation of vending facilities by blind persons on public property; specialized library services for the blind; the organization and funding of federal programs; Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income programs; and other timely topics.

More than five hundred people from the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico typically attend. 

Dates

Monday, January 28, through Thursday, January 31, 2019

Location

Holiday Inn Washington-Capitol
550 C Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024
202-479-4000

Agenda

Great Gathering-In—Monday, January 28, 2019

The Great Gathering-In is the very exciting opening session of Washington Seminar. It will begin Monday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Washington-Capitol (Capitol Ballroom) and will adjourn promptly at 7:00 p.m.

Congressional Appointments—Tuesday, January 29 through Thursday, January 31, 2019

Legislative appointments should be made for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in the Senate and House office buildings. A meeting for NFB members to review progress and provide guidance will occur on Wednesday evening.

Please review the complete 2019 Washington Seminar agenda in HTML or the 2019 Washington Seminar agenda in BRF.

Reservations and Room Rates

Please reserve your room at the Holiday Inn Washington-Capitol (550 C Street, SW Washington, DC 20024) by Friday, January 4, 2019. Check in at our booking rate begins Friday, January 25, 2019 with a check out by Friday, February 1, 2019.

The rate is $196 per night. This rate does not include DC sales tax, currently 14.95 percent.

You can begin booking reservations online by using this link to the Holiday Inn Washington-Capitol website that includes our booking code. You can also make reservations by calling 1-877-572-6951 and referencing booking code NB8.

Credit card information is needed at time of your reservation. The individual cancellation policy is seventy-two hours prior to the date of arrival to avoid a one night's room plus tax cancellation charge on the credit card provided. If your departure date changes, you must inform the hotel seventy-two hours in advance of your departure to avoid a $100 fee.

Legislative Agenda and Fact Sheets

HTML

BRF

Audio

Word

Hotel Restaurants

The Holiday Inn Washington-Capitol houses four food and beverage options from the Capitol Bistro, which is a full-service restaurant, to the 21st Amendment Bar and lounge. 

Highlights from Previous Years

More Information

For more information about the Washington Seminar, please contact Gabe Cazares at 410-659-9314, extension 2206, or [email protected].