How do I get the emergency brake to work enough to turn the light off??

 

Model, year, engine?
The light is nothing to do with the brake's actual action, is the brake stuck on or is the light on even when the brake is not?
If the latter, you could start by removing the cover on the fulcrum of the lever by your seat and seeing what the microswitch is doing when you release the handbrake.
Greg

 

had that problem with my 1984, removed the cover , cleaned the contact on the micro switch as well as the switch and that resolved the problem. also, make sure the brake is disengaged