[Colorado-Talk] NFBCO 2020 Legislative Agenda

Tue Feb 4 21:46:47 UTC 2020

Hey everyone, we are looking forward to our Day at the Capitol tomorrow
which starts at 12:15 pm in the Old Supreme Court Chambers of the Capitol.
It is on the Second Floor.  Below is the text of our 2020 Legislative
Memorandum.  

Stay warm!

Scott

**

MEMORANDUM

To:       The Members of the Colorado General Assembly

From:   The Members of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado

Date:   February 5, 2020

Re:       Legislative Concerns of Blind Citizens 

GENERAL BACKGROUND

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest and largest
organization of the blind in the United States and in Colorado.  The primary
mission of the Federation is to allow the blind to live the lives they want
in all areas of life from ensuring basic civil rights to securing employment
and education for the blind.  Founded officially in 1955, the NFB of
Colorado engages in several programs specifically designed to create greater
opportunities for the blind.  For example, the Federation is the chief
sponsor of the Colorado Center for the Blind.  The Colorado Center provides
training in the alternative skills blind people need to become fully
participating members of society.  Additionally, NFB offers national and
statewide scholarships.  We also provide a free talking newspaper called
NFB-NEWSLINER which allows the blind of our state to read the daily
newspaper just as easily as their sighted peers.  We advocate for the rights
of the blind in all areas ranging from education to employment.  Where
positive changes are happening in the blindness field, there is a good
chance that the Federation is involved.

2020 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

First, the Federation calls upon the General Assembly to adopt legislation
that would allow the blind of Colorado to access prescription drug labels
independently.  Second, we urge this Assembly to maintain at least level
funding for NFB Newsline which gives the blind of Colorado timely and
independent access to newspapers and other periodicals.  Lastly, we want to
make sure that Members of the Assembly are aware of our scholarship program
and our world renowned adjustment to blindness training center, the Colorado
Center for the Blind. 

For further information contact:

Scott C. LaBarre, President

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado

Phone: 303 504-5979

Fax: 303 757-3640

Email: slabarre at labarrelaw.com

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT ACCESS BY BLIND COLORADANS

TO INFORMATION ON PRESCRIPTION LABELS

The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado has a vast array of
technical know-how, practical day-to-day experience, the legislative acumen,
and our commitment to helping the blind live the lives they want, free from
artificial barriers.  For all Coloradans, knowing what our medications are,
as well as the frequency and dosages of each are a critical matter of health
maintenance, potentially with life and death consequences. However,
information printed on prescription drug labels is not consistently and
readily available to blind Coloradans, even though technologies and
approaches are available to provide critical prescription label information
to the blind in a nonvisual manner. Further, Blind Coloradans cannot be
confident that all of the pharmacies from whom they may acquire their
medications will use any of these technologies and approaches; let alone
telling them about ways in which the pharmacy can provide prescription label
information to customers who are unable to see the printed label. In short,
pharmacies in Colorado are not required to provide prescription label
information in ways that work for people who are blind or visually impaired,
and there is no consistent way in which the pharmacies are required to
provide this critical information.

H.B. 20-1090 introduced by Representative Mary Young has been drafted to
address such problems. Originally, we had some concerns with the legislative
language.  After discussions with Representative Young, however, we believe
this bill can be amended to successfully address the lack of accessibility
to prescription drug information with appropriate and readily available
technologies and practices. To that end, we are continuing to engage in
ongoing, fruitful and productive discussions with Representative Young to
ensure that this bill offers a solution that truly meets the needs of blind
Coloradans.  Indeed, the only way to ensure the success of such an effort is
with the full participation of the National Federation of the Blind of
Colorado.  We urge you to pass H.B. 20-1090 once amended so that the blind
of Colorado will have equal access to critical information about their
prescriptions.   

For more information, please contact Scott C. LaBarre, President

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado

Phone: 303 504-5979

Email:  <mailto:slabarre at labarrelaw.com> slabarre at labarrelaw.com

MAINTAIN AT LEAST LEVEL FUNDING FOR NFB-NEWSLINER SERVICE

For more than a dozen years, the Colorado General Assembly has funded
Colorado's NFB-NEWSLINER, providing blind Coloradans the same daily access
to newspapers and magazines as their sighted neighbors and family members
enjoy.  This year, we request that the General Assembly at least maintain
its current financial support, presently at $120,000.00 a year, so that
blind people can access the critical and vital information provided by the
service.  Because NFB-NEWSLINER is funded through the Disabled Telephone
Users Fund (DTUF), funding to NFB-NEWSLINER does not impact general funds.
The DTUF's funding comes from a very small fee on Land lines and cell phones
in Colorado.  

Access to information from the newspapers and magazines of our nation and
state plays a critical role for each of us as informed and participating
citizens.  Recognizing this, the National Federation of the Blind created
NFB-NEWSLINER for the blind in the mid-1990s.  With this revolutionary
system, the blind are able to pick up their touch tone phone, call a
toll-free number or open an app on their iOS or Android device and select
from more than 450 different newspapers and magazines including the Denver
Post, Colorado Springs Gazette, Fort Collins Coloradoan, the Grand Junction
Daily Sentinel, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and many other national
newspapers.  Today the phone-in option is still in place, but access via the
NFB-NEWSLINER mobile app has become a major medium through which blind
persons access the news.  Additional options for accessing the service
include online on-demand reading with a web browser, email delivery and,
remote content download via specialized devices used by the blind and others
with print disabilities. Thus, subscribers have easy access to the four
Colorado newspapers offered, national papers, and 75 plus magazines -
everything from AARP publications to Time and Wired.  There are even
accessible and locally-relevant television listings, something impossible to
find in an accessible form for the blind otherwise.  Moreover, the system
provides current weather conditions as well as watches and warnings.
Currently, approximately 1500 blind Coloradans have access to the 450-plus
newspapers, 75 magazines, and other publications on the system.  About every
two minutes, a blind Coloradan is tapping into the vast wealth of
information provided by NFB-NEWSLINER.

With this funding, the NFB of Colorado will both maintain the system and
expand its reach.  We will create even greater opportunities to share
NFB-NEWSLINER on additional web based and other technological platforms;
expand the number of publications available; train more blind individuals to
use the system; and work with the Audio Information Network of Colorado
(AINC) to provide more information to the blind of Colorado. AINC is another
service funded by the DTUF providing other timely publications and
information to our state's blind and the NFB of Colorado supports continued
funding for AIN as well.

For further information regarding NFB-NEWSLINER contact:

Scott C. LaBarre, President

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado

Phone: 303 504-5979

Email:  <mailto:slabarre at labarrelaw.com> slabarre at labarrelaw.com

SUPPORT THE COLORADO CENTER FOR THE BLIND AND NFB 

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS

In your packets, you will find brochures on the Colorado Center for the
Blind and fliers for National Federation of the Blind national and local
scholarships.  These and other programs are of great importance and
therefore deserve a specific mention.  

Founded in 1988 by the NFB of Colorado, the Colorado Center for the Blind
(CCB) offers world class rehabilitation and adjustment to blindness training
to blind/visually impaired individuals in our state and from all over the
world.  The CCB believes that with the right kind of training and a positive
attitude, blindness need not be a tragedy and should not artificially limit
a person's hopes and dreams.  The program serves all ages from kids as young
as elementary age to seniors.  CCB teaches cane travel/orientation and
mobility, Braille, technology, independent daily living skills, employment
skills, and much, much more.  Nearly all of the teaching staff is made up of
blind instructors who serve as excellent role models.  Please read the CCB
brochure in your packet for more information or go to www.cocenter.org.  Our
Center is located in Littleton and you are always welcome and encouraged to
visit.

SCHOLARSHIPS

The National Federation of the Blind, on a national basis, offers thirty
scholarships to talented blind men and women attending a post-secondary
institution.  Over a hundred thousand dollars are awarded each year and
provide real opportunity for deserving students.  On a state level, the NFB
of Colorado offers up to five scholarships to blind men and women attending
a post-secondary institution and scholarships range from $1,500.00 to
$5,000.00.  More information on how to apply is contained in your
legislative packet.  Please inform your local high schools, colleges and
universities as well as any blind/visually impaired post-secondary student
you know about these valuable scholarship opportunities.

For further information on any of these issues contact:

Scott C. LaBarre, President

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado

Phone: 303 504-5979

Email: slabarre at labarrelaw.com

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