[blindLaw] BlindLaw Digest, Vol 231, Issue 10

Susan Kelly Susan.Kelly at pima.gov
Wed Sep 13 20:54:31 UTC 2023 

A little late in responding, for which many apologies sent, but yes - even as a long-time (nearly 30 year) employee of my public defender office, the subject of my on-going vision loss and how the administration “puts up with it” is never ending.  As is their refusal to truly examine their biases and incorrect assumption, while at the same time refusing to implement simple work-arounds that would cost nothing to use.  I just keep reminding myself that I love my actual work, and try to ignore the rest as best I can.

Susan C L Kelly
Assistant Public Defender
Pima County Public Defender’s Office - Juvenile Division
Ofc: 520-724-2994
Fax: 520-770-4168
Text: 520-262-6137
ADA Assistant:
Norma Garcia
520-724-4778
Norma.Garcia at pima.gov
Secretary:
Andrea Espinoza
520-724-2995
Andrea.Espinoza at pima.gov

________________________________
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Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2023 5:00:02 AM
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Subject: BlindLaw Digest, Vol 231, Issue 10

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Today's Topics:

   1. Discrimination in the Workplace? (Thomas Dukeman)
   2. Re: Discrimination in the Workplace? (Sanho Steele-Louchart)
   3. Re: Discrimination in the Workplace? (James Fetter)
   4. Re: Discrimination in the Workplace? (Ronza Othman)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2023 17:43:37 +0000
From: Thomas Dukeman <ThomasDukeman at outlook.com>
To: 'Blind Law Mailing List' <BlindLaw at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [blindLaw] Discrimination in the Workplace?
Message-ID:
        <CO1PR06MB791694673A6267FE93327138AD11A at CO1PR06MB7916.namprd06.prod.outlook.com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

Hello all,

I recently attended the 2023 National NFB conference in Texas and it was from attending some of the workshops related to answering the question of when/if one should being up their vision situation in the spirit of transparency and that some less scrupulous employers might try to bring it before we do and get away with violating the ADA. That got me thinking then, are there instances where our vision has been used against us in some way? I am still pretty new to the NFB and don?t really know much about that kind of thing if at all, is made an issue for us to come together against or if that is something in the past? I know a lot of places SAY they are an equal employment opportunity employer, but are they really, at least for us? I thought to ask here because I feel like if anyone would know about legal issues impacting the blind, it would be you guys.

Thanks for your time and input,
Thomas Dukeman

Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows



------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2023 14:51:39 -0400
From: Sanho Steele-Louchart <sanho817 at gmail.com>
To: Blind Law Mailing List <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blindLaw] Discrimination in the Workplace?
Message-ID:
        <CAL6jpezQx1Xw_m93O6hPoEueVO7YXnSaWOGAU7afa1AGeCkSKw at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Thomas,

Are you asking if blindness is still used against us in employment or
potential employment situations? The answer is a resounding yes.

Warmth,
Sanho

Sanho Steele-Louchart, Esq.
Legal Program Coordinator
National Federation of the Blind
Secretary, National Association of Blind Lawyers
He/Him

On 8/12/23, Thomas Dukeman via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I recently attended the 2023 National NFB conference in Texas and it was
> from attending some of the workshops related to answering the question of
> when/if one should being up their vision situation in the spirit of
> transparency and that some less scrupulous employers might try to bring it
> before we do and get away with violating the ADA. That got me thinking then,
> are there instances where our vision has been used against us in some way? I
> am still pretty new to the NFB and don?t really know much about that kind of
> thing if at all, is made an issue for us to come together against or if that
> is something in the past? I know a lot of places SAY they are an equal
> employment opportunity employer, but are they really, at least for us? I
> thought to ask here because I feel like if anyone would know about legal
> issues impacting the blind, it would be you guys.
>
> Thanks for your time and input,
> Thomas Dukeman
>
> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows
>
> _______________________________________________
> BlindLaw mailing list
> BlindLaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> BlindLaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sanho817%40gmail.com
>


--
He/Him



------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2023 15:00:02 -0400
From: James Fetter <jtfetter at yahoo.com>
To: Blind Law Mailing List <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blindLaw] Discrimination in the Workplace?
Message-ID: <AC28CB7E-952C-432B-8F6C-655CBC122C95 at yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset=utf-8

Indeed! Employment discrimination against the blind is widespread and well-entrenched. My own fun experiences is described at  https://jle.aals.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1748&context=home

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 12, 2023, at 2:53 PM, Sanho Steele-Louchart via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> ?Thomas,
>
> Are you asking if blindness is still used against us in employment or
> potential employment situations? The answer is a resounding yes.
>
> Warmth,
> Sanho
>
> Sanho Steele-Louchart, Esq.
> Legal Program Coordinator
> National Federation of the Blind
> Secretary, National Association of Blind Lawyers
> He/Him
>
>> On 8/12/23, Thomas Dukeman via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Hello all,
>>
>> I recently attended the 2023 National NFB conference in Texas and it was
>> from attending some of the workshops related to answering the question of
>> when/if one should being up their vision situation in the spirit of
>> transparency and that some less scrupulous employers might try to bring it
>> before we do and get away with violating the ADA. That got me thinking then,
>> are there instances where our vision has been used against us in some way? I
>> am still pretty new to the NFB and don?t really know much about that kind of
>> thing if at all, is made an issue for us to come together against or if that
>> is something in the past? I know a lot of places SAY they are an equal
>> employment opportunity employer, but are they really, at least for us? I
>> thought to ask here because I feel like if anyone would know about legal
>> issues impacting the blind, it would be you guys.
>>
>> Thanks for your time and input,
>> Thomas Dukeman
>>
>> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> BlindLaw mailing list
>> BlindLaw at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> BlindLaw:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/sanho817%40gmail.com
>>
>
>
> --
> He/Him
>
> _______________________________________________
> BlindLaw mailing list
> BlindLaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for BlindLaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/jtfetter%40yahoo.com


------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2023 17:52:41 -0400
From: Ronza Othman <rothmanjd at gmail.com>
To: Blind Law Mailing List <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blindLaw] Discrimination in the Workplace?
Message-ID: <6CC741A9-C965-4946-AA9A-103FC50AAA15 at gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Absolutely, discrimination still exists for people who are blind or low vision. You can do a surface level search of EEOC cases and find a number of them. Also, the EEOC, just a couple of weeks ago, updated its enforcement guidance on equal employment opportunity for blind and visually impaired workers. This was indirect response to What they were seeing, and also because of the increase in blind people being shut out of job applications due to artificial intelligence in the application process. As an employment lawyer myself who primarily works in the civil rights arena, I would say that the vast majority of discrimination in employment toward blind people  is either because of inaccessible technology or incorrect and negative stereotypes about blindness.

Ronza Othman, President
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
443-426-4110
Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 12, 2023, at 1:44 PM, Thomas Dukeman via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> ?Hello all,
>
> I recently attended the 2023 National NFB conference in Texas and it was from attending some of the workshops related to answering the question of when/if one should being up their vision situation in the spirit of transparency and that some less scrupulous employers might try to bring it before we do and get away with violating the ADA. That got me thinking then, are there instances where our vision has been used against us in some way? I am still pretty new to the NFB and don?t really know much about that kind of thing if at all, is made an issue for us to come together against or if that is something in the past? I know a lot of places SAY they are an equal employment opportunity employer, but are they really, at least for us? I thought to ask here because I feel like if anyone would know about legal issues impacting the blind, it would be you guys.
>
> Thanks for your time and input,
> Thomas Dukeman
>
> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows
>
> _______________________________________________
> BlindLaw mailing list
> BlindLaw at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for BlindLaw:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rothmanjd%40gmail.com



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