[Akron-Talk] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Amazon to Make more Employment Opportunities Available to the Blind

Fri Mar 26 15:25:58 UTC 2021

[image: National Federation of the Blind logo and tagline live the life you
want] <http://nfb.org>

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
Amazon to Make more Employment Opportunities Available to the Blind *Agreement
with National Federation of the Blind to Make Jobs at Amazon Fulfillment
Centers Accessible to Blind Workers*

*Baltimore, Maryland (March 25, 2021): *The National Federation of the
Blind (NFB), America’s civil rights and membership organization of the
blind, has reached an agreement with Amazon.com to expand employment
opportunities for blind people at Amazon’s order fulfillment centers. This
agreement arose from complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission by five blind individuals who were hired at Amazon fulfillment
centers but alleged they were not accommodated to do their jobs. As part of
the agreement, Amazon has reinstated four blind individuals who had been
terminated but who still wanted to work at its fulfillment centers, with
their start dates backdated to their original hire dates. The agreement
also provides that:

   - Beginning in July 2021 and continuing through 2022, Amazon will
   rollout accessible technology and accommodations to make fulfillment center
   "job paths" accessible for blind employees. Amazon will consult with
   internal and external experts to determine what technology and
   accommodations are needed to make those job paths accessible for blind
   employees.
   - Amazon will also work with the NFB to identify accessibility solutions
   and innovations for blind employees, including by providing a tour of a
   fulfillment center to allow the NFB's representatives to observe different
   types of job paths.
   - Amazon will develop and, beginning in or around October 2021, provide
   online training to the hiring, human resources, operations, and safety
   management in all of its fulfillment centers regarding best practices on
   providing reasonable accommodations to blind employees.
   - Amazon will work with the NFB and other interested organizations to
   plan and conduct outreach to the blind community to provide details of
   Amazon's accommodations processes and the new accessible technologies to
   assist blind employees in performing fulfillment center jobs.

“We are pleased that Amazon is committing to the steps needed to make
employment opportunities at its fulfillment centers accessible to current
and future blind workers,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National
Federation of the Blind. “By using accessible technology and engaging blind
employees in an interactive process, there is no reason Amazon cannot
ensure that these demanding jobs can be performed by blind people. We hope
to continue our work with Amazon so that the company becomes a leading
twenty-first-century employer of the blind.”

###
About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore,
defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and
support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing
vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership
and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and
divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe
in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them
into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20428&qid=5051013>.
CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen at nfb.org <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20429&qid=5051013>

[image: Facebook Logo]
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20430&qid=5051013> [image: Twitter
Logo] <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20431&qid=5051013> [image:
Instagram Logo]
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20432&qid=5051013> [image:
YouTube Logo] <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20433&qid=5051013> [image:
Email Icon Image]
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20434&qid=5051013> [image:
Donate to the NFB Icon.]
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20435&qid=5051013>
National Federation of the Blind | 200 E Wells Street | Baltimore, MD 21230
| 410-659-9314
Unsubscribe
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=1&jid=16278&qid=5051013&h=1f48ac22134514e3>
| Opt Out
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=16278&qid=5051013&h=1f48ac22134514e3>
|  Sign Up for Our E-newsletter
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20436&qid=5051013>

200 East Wells St.
Baltimore, 21230
United States
.. [image: Web Bug from https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/open?qid=5051013]
_______________________________________________
NFBNet-Members-List mailing list
NFBNet-Members-List at nfbnet.org
List archives:  <
http://www.nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org>
To unsubscribe from NFBNet-Members-List:
goto
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/dwbertsch%40gmail.com

-- 
Dave Bertsch
330-472-4084
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/akron-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20210326/a8ae1c4b/attachment.html>