[il-talk] pasted in WS action items info

[Patti Gregory-Chang]

Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:

Priorities for the 112th Congress, FIRST Session





The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest and largest 
organization of blind people in the United States.  As the Voice of the 
Nation's Blind, we represent the collective views of blind people throughout 
society.  All of our leaders and the vast majority of our members are blind, 
but anyone can participate in our movement.  There are an estimated 1.3 
million blind people in the United States, and every year approximately 
75,000 Americans become blind.  The social and economic consequences of 
blindness affect not only blind people, but also our families, our friends, 
and our coworkers.



Three legislative initiatives demand the immediate attention of the 112th 
Congress in its first session.



Initiative 1

We urge Congress to work with blind Americans to create a Technology Bill of 
Rights for the Blind which mandates that consumer electronics, home 
appliances, kiosks, and electronic office technology and software provide 
user interfaces that are accessible through nonvisual means.

This legislation should:

  a.. Mandate that all consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and 
electronic office technology and software be designed so that blind people 
are able to access the same functions as sighted people by nonvisual means 
and with substantially equivalent ease of use.
  b.. Create a commission within the Department of Commerce to establish 
standards for nonvisual accessibility of electronic devices intended for use 
in the home or office.  Such a commission should represent all stakeholders, 
including:
-          organizations of the blind;

-          manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, 
and electronic office technology and software, or associations representing 
such manufacturers; and

-          experts on universal design, electronic engineering, and related 
fields.



·        Establish within the Department of Justice the authority to enforce 
the regulations promulgated by the commission established by this 
legislation.

  a.. Authorize the commission to reexamine and rewrite standards 
periodically as consumer electronic technology continues to evolve.


Initiative 2

We urge Congress to work with blind Americans to establish a commission 
within the Department of Education to set uniform national standards for the 
education of blind students in grades K-12.  The Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act and other existing laws and regulations do not 
currently provide objective standards to measure the educational progress of 
blind students.

This legislation should:

·        Create a commission within the Department of Education, comprised 
to ensure representation of all stakeholders, to set educational standards 
for blind children, and to promulgate regulations.



Initiative 3

We urge Congress to increase business opportunities for disabled Americans 
by enacting the Americans with Disabilities Business Opportunity Act.

This legislation should:

·        Authorize tax credits to for-profit businesses that purchase goods 
or services from businesses owned by individuals with disabilities 
(including from businesses operated under the federal Randolph-Sheppard 
program),

·        Amend Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act to include people with 
disabilities as presumptively socially disadvantaged,

·        Change federal procurement law to provide that businesses owned by 
individuals with disabilities (including businesses operated under the 
federal Randolph-Sheppard program) are included on the list of preferred 
small businesses to which subcontracts must be awarded, and

·        Create training and technical assistance programs to prepare 
individuals with disabilities to operate businesses capable of securing 
federal and private contracts.



For more information about these priorities, please consult the attached 
fact sheets.



Blind Americans need your help to achieve our goals of economic security, 
increased opportunity, and full integration into American society on a basis 
of equality.  Enactment of these legislative proposals will represent 
important steps toward reaching these goals.  We need the help and support 
of each member of Congress.  Our success benefits not only us, but the whole 
of America as well.  In this time of national economic insecurity, these 
measures will contribute to increasing the tax base and encouraging the 
purchase of consumer goods.





P.S. Text the word BLIND to 85944 to donate $10 to the NFB Imagination Fund 
via your phone bill.

P.S.S.  National Federation of the Blind of Illinois is now on twitter at 
www.twitter.com/nfbi.
We also have a facebook page.  Just search for our full name.

Patti Gregory-Chang, Esq.
Chairperson, NFB Scholarship Committee
scholarships at nfb.org
President, National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
pattichang at att.net
www.nfbofillinois.org