[nfb-talk] Responce to NFB 2010 Resolutions:

ckrugman at sbcglobal.net ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
Sat Dec 4 08:08:01 UTC 2010


Who or what was the responder to this resolution. There appears to be a 
credibility problem here.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kenneth Chrane" <kenneth.chrane at verizon.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: <officeofthepresident at nfb.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010 6:40 AM
Subject: [nfb-talk] Responce to NFB 2010 Resolutions:


> Hi This is Ken Chrane.
> This is a Responce to our 2010 NFB Resolutions from an ambassitor of The 
> Republic of Illinois.
> Ken Chrane
> In the document below, you are dealing with a dead defacto corporation. 
> Defacto WILL be a thing of the past very soon.  We are dejure, we have 
> reinhabited our states/Republics original organic Constitution and are the 
> law of the land now.  We are recognized by over 94 nations, and the 
> Corporation is over.  The time will come when the issues below are 
> addressed.  With all due respect, securing our freedom is first, and done 
> by re-inhabiting dejure grand juries throughout every county in these 
> United States to handle such issues below.   This is the bottom up.  The 
> people determining the outcome of their respective citites, counties, and 
> state government.
>
> Have YOU helped establish a dejure grand jury in the county that you 
> reside?  That is where all this begins.  Taking care of people in YOUR 
> area.  You can write all the whereas es as you choose, but you need to 
> narrow this down to reality.   Most of the groups you mentioned below will 
> be history.  Dept of motor vehicles...gone, dept of education  - a bloated 
> indoctrination controlling mechanism to dumb down our children -- gone, 
> individuals mentioned below--in prison likely.    The  resolution below is 
> an example of more over-loaded and bloated bureaucratic nonsense. 
> Government intervention into the lives of every individual to secure a 
> small minorities demands is a foolish endeavor.   Why would you want the 
> government to come in to monitor every aspect of every handicapped persons 
> life?  Demanding more oversight, thus hindering procurement of contracts, 
> hindering companies by demanding they bow and serve needs of one group? 
> This is another example of the typical entitlement mentality and bullying 
> that has destroyed the fabric of our nation, and forcing companies out of 
> the country.  And with that statement you need to understand that we do 
> care about all Americans, including the blind, however, enough is enough. 
> But demanding more over-bloated bureaucracy will only continue the 
> frustration of groups such as yours. And I have experience working with 
> EEOC and the Americans with Disabilities Acts, and I know just how 
> worthless they are and why real handicapped are not protected.  Everything 
> defacto has failed and it is time to take it to the people.
>
> As I said,  I do respect efforts to protect the blind as well as others 
> who are "truly" handicapped, but it is NOT going to get done in the manner 
> below.
> Instead of disseminating defacto terminology, get educated.    Become a 
> part of the re-inhabited government in YOUR area, and YOU can help 
> determine how YOUR county handles such issues.   And be advised, you will 
> NOT determine how ANYTHING in any other state/republic handles such issues 
> within their respective dejure Republics.   Each state is its own nation, 
> and the Federal dictating to states ends.  You worry about YOUR state, and 
> I will worry about mine.  All will be good, but initiating another 
> resolution full of demands with lots of defacto terminology as below, is 
> over.  Common law rules the land.  Study common law then rewrite the 
> document below according to common law and organic Constitutional 
> guidelines and the county settlement document within your County.   That 
> is where you must start.  Once you have rewritten the document below, by 
> all means send it to me and I will forward it to the correct person to 
> bring it forth for discussion to county juries in IL.  Remember, it must 
> be within common law guidelines.
>
> Contact me if you reside in Illinois.   Otherwise you should work within 
> your own state.
> Go to the national site where you may have found my address and download 
> the onboarding package and go from there.
> If you are in IL you are welcome to contact me back to find out how to 
> become a dejure juror and address the issue of the blind in IL.
> Since you have the zeal to help the blind, becoming a dejure grand juror 
> will be the the best way.
> Dejure is the remedy for all lawful issues and protecting all of our 
> peoples.
>
> Warm Regards,
> Illinois Ambassador
>
> On 11/23/2010 9:42 PM, Kenneth Chrane wrote:
>  Resolution 2010-01
>
>  Regarding the Creation of a New Educational Model for Blind Students
>
>  WHEREAS, literacy rates among blind children remain unacceptably low as 
> demonstrated by statistics showing that only 10 percent of today's blind 
> students under age twenty-two are being taught to read Braille, resulting 
> in an unacceptably low (45 percent) high-school graduation rate for blind 
> students; and
>
>  WHEREAS, approximately 70 percent of blind people nationwide are not 
> employed, but of those blind people who are employed, 85 percent or more 
> use Braille in the workplace, demonstrating a clear relationship among 
> literacy, confidence, and success; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has been the leader in 
> encouraging legislative reform, but, despite the improvement that gives 
> Braille a stated priority in the delivery of educational services to a 
> blind child, school administrators and the lawyers who represent them 
> continue to find ways to avoid their responsibility to provide appropriate 
> Braille literacy educational services, and the results of that legal 
> process more often than not yield ineffective and inadequate remedies; and
>
>  WHEREAS, even in those infrequent cases in which a parent or advocate is 
> successful in obtaining improved services for a blind child, the due 
> process hearing does not improve educational services generally because 
> the remedies, however beneficial, are limited to that child; and
>
>  WHEREAS, too many parents of blind children remain frustrated with the 
> ineffective remedies provided under the Individuals with Disabilities 
> Education Act (IDEA) because, even if they file for a due process hearing, 
> the due process hearing officer, following judicial precedent, finds that 
> a blind child is receiving a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), 
> even when "minimal educational benefit" results from the educational 
> services to the blind child; and
>
>  WHEREAS, even with the presumption that Braille will be included in a 
> child's individualized education program (IEP) as required in current 
> federal and most state laws, if a child is taught Braille, it often occurs 
> after the child has no remaining vision or at best insufficient vision to 
> read print, resulting in the child's learning to read in the upper grades 
> or later when the opportunity to establish real literacy skills is 
> diminished or altogether past; and
>
>  WHEREAS, assessments performed by well-meaning but ill-informed 
> professionals demonstrate that a child has enough vision to read print but 
> do not take into consideration a diagnosis that inevitably portends the 
> inability to read print, and reports from around the country indicate that 
> blind children are still not getting their books on time despite the clear 
> requirement in federal and state law that books be provided on time; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind convened a meeting of 
> parents of blind children, lawyers, educators and teachers of blind 
> children, elected leaders of the blind, and other blindness professionals 
> for the purpose of discussing innovative and effective ways to improve the 
> delivery of educational services, including the teaching of Braille; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Braille Readers are Leaders initiative, established by the 
> National Federation of the Blind in July 2008, has a primary goal of 
> ensuring that the number of blind students able to read Braille will 
> double by 2015; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is the leading force in the 
> field of blindness, possesses the collective experience of thousands of 
> blind people (an accumulated body of knowledge about blindness education). 
> and has an unwavering will to improve educational opportunities for all 
> blind students: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization pursue innovative and nontraditional models for 
> teaching literacy and other blindness skills, including the investigation 
> and establishment of a charter school for blind children and any other 
> model at the discretion of the president and that the resources of this 
> organization be used to establish models that will demonstrate the success 
> achieved by high expectations and the philosophy of the National 
> Federation of the Blind; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge teachers of blind 
> students, state special education agencies, organizations of and for the 
> blind, and others responsible for the education of blind children to take 
> all other steps necessary to join the National Federation of the Blind in 
> ensuring that the number of blind students who are able to read and write 
> Braille competently doubles by 2015.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-02
>
>  Regarding the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010
>
>  WHEREAS, on January 28, 2009, Congressmen Edolphus Towns of New York and 
> Cliff Stearns of Florida introduced the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act 
> of 2009 (H.R. 734); and
>
>  WHEREAS, this legislation directs the secretary of transportation to 
> issue a motor vehicle safety standard to address the dangers posed to 
> blind and other pedestrians by silent hybrid and electric vehicles; and
>
>  WHEREAS, on April 21, 2009, Senators John Kerry of Massachusetts and 
> Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania introduced companion legislation in the 
> United States Senate (S. 841); and
>
>  WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has worked actively to gain 
> cosponsor support for this important legislation to preserve the right to 
> independent travel for blind pedestrians; and
>
>  WHEREAS, in September 2009 the National Highway Traffic Safety 
> Administration (NHTSA) released a report stating that hybrid and electric 
> vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in pedestrian accidents as 
> traditional internal-combustion-engine vehicles when operating at low 
> speed; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the United States Congress has recently introduced the Motor 
> Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 (H.R. 5381 in the House of Representatives and 
> S. 3302 in the Senate) to address safety concerns related to unintended 
> rapid acceleration and sticky pedals in some automobiles; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce unanimously agreed to 
> Congressman Stearns's amendment to include provisions of the Pedestrian 
> Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 at the committee markup of the Motor 
> Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 on May 26, 2010; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
> also included a similar amendment offered by Senator Kerry during its 
> markup of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 on June 9, 2010; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the number of hybrid and electric vehicles on America's roadways 
> continues to increase; and
>
>  WHEREAS, passage of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 will mandate 
> that regulations be promulgated by the Department of Transportation to 
> provide that electric and hybrid vehicles sold in the United States must 
> be equipped with an alert sound, which is recognizable as a motor vehicle, 
> in order to allow blind pedestrians to maintain the right to safe and 
> independent travel: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization urge Congress to pass the Motor Vehicle Safety Act 
> of 2010 to ensure that regulations will be issued to protect the right to 
> safe and independent travel for blind pedestrians; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization commend Congressmen Towns 
> and Stearns and Senators Kerry and Specter for their leadership on this 
> issue as demonstrated by their work to ensure that provisions of the 
> Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 were included in the Motor 
> Vehicle Safety Act of 2010; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization commend the Alliance of 
> Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of International Automobile 
> Manufacturers for working with the National Federation of the Blind and 
> for supporting the inclusion of provisions of the Pedestrian Safety 
> Enhancement Act of 2009 in the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-03
>
>  Regarding Inaccessibility of Google Products and Services
>
>  WHEREAS, Google is the leading Internet search engine, used by both blind 
> and sighted people in the United States and throughout the world; and
>
>  WHEREAS, in addition to its powerful search engine, Google, Inc., offers 
> an ever-increasing number of digital and electronic products and services, 
> including but not limited to Gmail, Google Maps, Google Calendar, Google 
> Books, Google TV, Google Wave, and the Android operating system for smart 
> phones; and
>
>  WHEREAS, while Google's basic search function is accessible to and usable 
> by the blind and Google has promised accessibility to some of its other 
> products and services (especially Google Books, pending the approval of 
> the legal settlement related to that product), many of its other services 
> are either inaccessible or not fully accessible; and
>
>  WHEREAS, while Google provides a screen-access solution called Talkback 
> for phones using the Android operating system, the company provides no 
> customer support for users of Talkback except YouTube videos posted by one 
> of its employees, and Talkback does not provide access to all the 
> functions available in Android; and
>
>  WHEREAS, blind people find using Google Calendar difficult because among 
> other things clickable regions of the screen are not always identified by 
> screen-access software as clickable due to improper application coding; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, when Google Maps data are embedded on third-party Websites, 
> Google directs blind users seeking full access to those data to use an 
> alternative, inferior accessibility interface through which they have 
> difficulty accessing critical features of Google Maps such as turn-by-turn 
> driving directions; and
>
>  WHEREAS, Google continues to roll out and announce the future 
> availability of new services, but blind people too often find to their 
> dismay that these services are not accessible; and
>
>  WHEREAS, apparently Google does not plan to make new services such as 
> Google Wave and Google TV accessible; and
>
>  WHEREAS, Google's corporate motto is "Don't be evil," but the company is 
> certainly failing to do good consistently for its blind users: Now, 
> therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization demand that Google make a serious, identifiable 
> commitment to accessibility in all of its products and services and avoid 
> the future release of products and services that are inaccessible to its 
> blind users.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-04
>
>  Regarding Access to Mass Transit Information and Services
>
>  WHEREAS, public transportation can be a critical tool in helping blind 
> people participate fully in the economic, political, and social life of 
> their communities; and
>
>  WHEREAS, mass transit systems increasingly use technology to provide 
> information and services to customers; and
>
>  WHEREAS, schedules, routing information, and reservations are examples of 
> information and services available to customers on the Websites of mass 
> transit systems; and
>
>  WHEREAS, customers are increasingly required to use electronic fare 
> cards, but the machines that read them can often not be used independently 
> by the blind; and
>
>  WHEREAS, mass transit systems are beginning to provide specific, 
> up-to-the-minute location information about buses to customers at bus 
> stops; and
>
>  WHEREAS, when designing Websites, fare cards, and other information 
> technology and services, too many mass transit systems either totally 
> overlook or provide minimal nonvisual access to their technology, ignoring 
> the access requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 
> 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization insist that the U.S. Department of Transportation 
> take all necessary steps to ensure compliance with access laws by mass 
> transit systems; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the Federal Transit 
> Administration and the American Public Transportation Association to work 
> with the National Federation of the Blind to develop best practices that 
> result in enhanced nonvisual access to mass transit system information 
> technology and services.
>
>  ------------
>
>  RESOLUTION 2010-05
>
>  Regarding Equal and Independent Participation in the Census for the Blind
>
>  WHEREAS, all Americans are required to provide census data under Title 
> 13, United States Code, Sections 143 and 191; and
>
>  WHEREAS, data collected through the census are used for legislative 
> redistricting as well as the allocation of over $400 billion in government 
> funding to public projects such as schools, road and infrastructure 
> construction, hospital and healthcare services, rehabilitation programs, 
> and disaster preparedness projects, all of which affect the blind just as 
> they do all other Americans; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the United States Census Bureau originally permitted 2010 Census 
> participation only through the completion of a paper form that was mailed 
> to American households, and the Census Bureau had not developed a strategy 
> for obtaining such data by alternate means; and
>
>  WHEREAS, after learning that the original strategy for collecting census 
> data barred meaningful and independent participation by the nation's 
> blind, the Census Bureau promptly recalibrated its strategy to permit 
> blind individuals to complete the 2010 census form by calling a toll-free 
> phone number or by requesting a census worker to conduct an in-person 
> visit; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Census Bureau administers the American Community Survey to a 
> portion of American households annually by employing the same 
> data-collection strategies as the decennial census; and
>
>  WHEREAS, these alternatives still preclude the blind from independently 
> providing census data: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization strongly urge the United States Bureau of the 
> Census to develop and implement mechanisms for blind Americans to submit 
> decennial census data independently and participate in annual Community 
> Surveys no later than April 2011; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization insist upon being involved 
> in the development of such mechanisms or policies to ensure that the blind 
> can comply with federal law and participate meaningfully and independently 
> in the census.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-06
>
>  Regarding the Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind
>
>  WHEREAS, rapid advances in digital technology have led to the increased 
> use of touch screens and interactive visual interfaces, replacing 
> traditional controls such as knobs, switches, and buttons on consumer 
> electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and office equipment and technology; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, this major shift in technology has rendered most consumer 
> electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and office equipment and technology 
> inaccessible through nonvisual means, widening the digital divide between 
> blind consumers and their sighted peers and threatening the employment, 
> independence, and productivity of blind people; and
>
>  WHEREAS, methods (such as text-to-speech and sound cues) exist for 
> manufacturers to make their products accessible; and
>
>  WHEREAS, accessibility is relatively easy and inexpensive to implement 
> when it is incorporated into the design of a product from the outset; and
>
>  WHEREAS, Apple, Inc., has demonstrated the feasibility of incorporating 
> access for blind consumers by incorporating text-to-speech technology in 
> its entire line of touch-screen consumer electronic products, allowing 
> blind consumers to use these products without the addition of third-party 
> applications; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the ability to access and use all functions of consumer 
> electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and office equipment and technology 
> independently is essential to a blind person's independence, productivity, 
> and employment; and
>
>  WHEREAS, on January 27, 2010, Congresswoman Janice Schakowsky of Illinois 
> introduced the Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind (H.R. 4533) to 
> address the growing trend of inaccessible consumer electronics, home 
> appliances, kiosks, and office equipment and technology; and
>
>  WHEREAS, this legislation would establish an office within the Department 
> of Commerce to conduct a study on how consumer products can be made 
> accessible to the blind, and then establish minimum nonvisual access 
> standards for consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and office 
> equipment and technology: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization urge the United States Congress to pass the 
> Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization commend Congresswoman 
> Schakowsky for her introduction and championship of this initiative.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-07
>
>  Regarding the Failure of the United States Postal Service
>
>  to Comply with the Randolph-Sheppard Act
>
>  WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Act applies to all federal agencies, 
> including the United States Postal Service; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Postal Service has at best been inconsistent historically in 
> honoring the Randolph-Sheppard priority, resulting in lost opportunities 
> for blind entrepreneurs; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Postal Service entered into a nationwide contract with a 
> private entity to provide cafeteria and vending services that are covered 
> by the Randolph-Sheppard priority without seeking the input of state 
> licensing agencies (SLAs), the Rehabilitation Services Administration, or 
> Randolph-Sheppard entrepreneurs; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Postal Service has failed to ensure that this private 
> contractor is following the procedures negotiated with the 
> Randolph-Sheppard community to ensure that any food service opportunity is 
> declined in writing by an SLA prior to turning it over to its contractor; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Postal Service has refused to provide SLAs with complete 
> lists of food service opportunities in each state to facilitate the 
> independent determination of whether Postmasters and the national 
> contractor are following the law; and
>
>  WHEREAS, under this nationwide contract both the Postal Service and the 
> private contractor have a financial incentive not to comply with the 
> Randolph-Sheppard Act; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the contractor has not consistently complied with the 
> Randolph-Sheppard Act, resulting in the further denial of opportunities to 
> blind entrepreneurs and imposing an additional obstacle to obtaining the 
> Postal Service's full compliance with the Randolph-Sheppard Act: Now, 
> therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization condemn and deplore the continued failure of the 
> United States Postal Service to comply with the Randolph-Sheppard Act and 
> demand that the Postal Service cancel its nationwide cafeteria and vending 
> contract so that these opportunities can be provided to blind 
> entrepreneurs in accordance with the law.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-08
>
>  Regarding Reading Rights for 2010
>
>  WHEREAS, the ability to read is critical to living a well-informed 
> personal and professional life; and
>
>  WHEREAS, blindness and some other disabilities pose challenges to 
> accessing all available written information fully and efficiently; and
>
>  WHEREAS, text-to-speech technology has helped to remove these access 
> barriers for the approximately thirty million blind and otherwise 
> print-disabled people living in the United States; and
>
>  WHEREAS, this heretofore untapped community of eager consumers promises 
> to benefit publishers and authors; and
>
>  WHEREAS, while a few eReading applications and devices take advantage of 
> text-to-speech technology to deliver the content of commercially available 
> eBooks to the blind and others with print disabilities and other providers 
> of eReading solutions are promising to provide access, many such devices 
> and applications, such as the Sony Reader and Barnes and Noble Nook, are 
> still inaccessible to the blind and print-disabled, and some publishers 
> are still resistant to allowing this population to access eBooks; and
>
>  WHEREAS, at least two major publishers, Random House and Simon and 
> Schuster, are still preventing text-to-speech access to all of their 
> titles available for the Amazon Kindle eReader; and
>
>  WHEREAS, despite repeated promises of access by Amazon, the Kindle 
> eReader device and the Kindle applications for personal computers and 
> other devices are still inaccessible to blind users, denying them access 
> to even those eBooks that are available with text-to-speech; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the solutions employed by some publishers to provide access such 
> as making their books available through third-party services like 
> Bookshare.org, are ultimately inadequate because they do not serve all 
> Americans with print disabilities and rely on the discredited logic of 
> separate-but-equal access for the blind and print-disabled; and
>
>  WHEREAS, any attempt by authors or publishers to restrict text-to-speech 
> access to eBooks that are not available as audiobooks violates the spirit 
> of a joint statement agreed to by the Reading Rights Coalition (of which 
> the National Federation of the Blind is a founding member), the Authors 
> Guild, and the Association of American Publishers, which states in part:
>
>  The Reading Rights Coalition, the Authors Guild, and the Association of 
> American Publishers believe that the contents of books should be as 
> accessible to individuals with print disabilities as they are to everyone 
> else. To that end these groups agree to work together and through the 
> communities they represent to ensure that, when the marketplace offers 
> alternative formats to print books such as audio and electronic books, 
> print-disabled consumers can access the contents of these alternative 
> formats to the same extent as all other consumers; and
>
>  WHEREAS, civil rights laws and policies in the United States oppose and 
> protect against acts that thwart equal access and equitable treatment of 
> the blind and other people with print disabilities: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization reaffirm its call for accessible eBooks and urge 
> all government procurement agencies, schools, institutions of higher 
> education, and libraries to exercise diligence in complying with 
> technology-procurement requirements and state and federal disability 
> nondiscrimination laws and to insist that mobile eBook readers and eBooks 
> have accessible text-to-speech; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge all eBook reader 
> developers and content providers to allow equal access by the blind and 
> others with print disabilities to the interfaces of their eReaders and to 
> the content of eBooks; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization commend those providers of 
> eBooks and eBook readers that have incorporated accessibility for the 
> blind and others with print disabilities in their products and services.
>
>  ------------
>
>  RESOLUTION 2010-09
>
>  Regarding a Statute of Limitations on Allegations of Overpayment by the
>
>  Social Security Administration
>
>  WHEREAS, many blind people who receive Social Security Disability 
> Insurance find that, after receiving benefits for years, they are notified 
> by letter that a review of their records indicates that they have been 
> substantially overpaid; and
>
>  WHEREAS, it is not uncommon for the Social Security Administration to 
> make a determination of overpayment more than twenty years after the fact, 
> requiring that the recipient of benefits produce data showing they were 
> indeed entitled to the benefits they received in order to appeal the 
> determination; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the record-keeping requirements that this practice imposes on 
> beneficiaries exceed even those of the Internal Revenue Service and often 
> present an impossible challenge to the individual recipient, who often has 
> limited space for filing records; and
>
>  WHEREAS, this practice also places an undue demand on former employers to 
> supply records, a demand that they are often unable to meet: Now, 
> therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization urge the United States Congress to enact a statute 
> of limitations, not to exceed seven years, in which the Social Security 
> Administration can attempt to retrieve alleged overpayments; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the Congress to 
> require the Social Security Administration to share with the beneficiary 
> such evidence as it has in arriving at its determination that an 
> overpayment has been made.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-10
>
>  Regarding the National Education Technology Plan for 2010
>
>  WHEREAS, on March 5, 2010, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of 
> Educational Technology released a draft National Educational Technology 
> Plan (NETP) for 2010 entitled "Transforming American Education: Learning 
> Powered by Technology"; and
>
>  WHEREAS, although the NETP embraces principles of universal design, it 
> addresses the specific issue of accessibility to the blind and others with 
> disabilities in only a few paragraphs of its more than one hundred pages; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, at present blind students are consigned to separate and unequal 
> access to educational materials due to inaccessible technology or the 
> failure to convert materials into an accessible format in a timely manner; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, with twenty-first century technology, there is no reason why all 
> educational materials cannot be made immediately accessible to blind 
> students; and
>
>  WHEREAS, mainstream access for the print disabled occurs when it is 
> demanded by educational institutions or by state or federal authorities, 
> as evidenced by (1) the latest version of Blackboard's becoming 
> substantially more accessible after California State University refused to 
> allow Blackboard to bid on a contract while its course management software 
> was inaccessible; (2) iTunes U's becoming fully accessible after the NFB 
> and the Massachusetts Attorney General threatened Apple's collegiate 
> partners with lawsuits; and (3) Amazon's announcing it would produce an 
> accessible Kindle after the Department of Justice secured consent decrees 
> from five colleges using the device in pilot projects to terminate those 
> projects; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the United States Department of Education has an unprecedented 
> opportunity to provide the leadership necessary to ensure that emerging 
> educational technologies include equal access for the blind and others 
> with disabilities in their design and that manufacturers view equal access 
> as the expected standard: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization express our serious concern that the NETP fails to 
> recognize the need for the United States Department of Education to 
> provide concentrated leadership, in both policy and practice, in order to 
> ensure that blind students and other students with disabilities can take 
> full advantage of the opportunities offered by emerging educational 
> technologies in America's classrooms; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge the 
> Department of Education to recognize that accessibility of educational 
> technology to the blind and other students with disabilities must play a 
> more prominent role within and throughout the NETP; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the United States 
> Department of Education to conduct research in collaboration with the 
> National Federation of the Blind and other blindness and print-disability 
> organizations to create standards for the development of accessible 
> educational technologies and then to issue regulations requiring 
> manufacturers of educational technology to adhere to such standards when 
> producing new technologies, once such standards are published, ensuring 
> that the nonvisual experience with technology is as rich as the visual 
> experience and that there is equal ease of access to all functions of the 
> technology, whether it is being used visually or nonvisually.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-11
>
>  Regarding National Industries for the Blind and the Definition of 
> "Employment Outcome" in the Vocational Rehabilitation Program
>
>  WHEREAS, blind people are capable of working with the sighted, playing 
> with the sighted, and living with the sighted on terms of complete 
> equality; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the blind seek the day when we no longer need to assert our 
> civil rights to be given equal opportunities and to be treated on terms of 
> equality with our sighted peers, but that day will only come if our lives 
> are fully integrated with those of the sighted; and
>
>  WHEREAS, in enacting the Rehabilitation Act, Congress found that the 
> blind have the right to enjoy full inclusion and integration in the 
> economic, political, social, cultural, and educational mainstream of 
> American society; and
>
>  WHEREAS, following congressional intent, in January 2001 the U.S. 
> Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) 
> issued regulations that redefined the term "employment outcome" as an 
> outcome in which an individual with a disability enters full or part-time 
> competitive employment in an integrated setting; and
>
>  WHEREAS, before redefining what constitutes an employment outcome 
> recognizable in the vocational rehabilitation program, many state 
> vocational rehabilitation agencies limited their blind clients' 
> opportunities to sheltered, nonintegrated settings, relegating them to 
> working in positions that pay less than their sighted counterparts receive 
> in the competitive labor market, to poor opportunity for career 
> advancement, and to work settings with little opportunity to work 
> alongside their sighted peers; and
>
>  WHEREAS, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) has recently requested 
> that RSA issue guidelines stating that an employment outcome recognizable 
> by the vocational rehabilitation program include placement of individuals 
> who are blind and are working in NIB's AbilityOne network of agencies; and
>
>  WHEREAS, NIB's primary purpose for requesting a change in the definition 
> of "employment outcome" is to give state vocational rehabilitation 
> agencies the ability to count placement in NIB programs as successful 
> employment outcomes for purposes of meeting RSA's mandatory standards and 
> indicators; and
>
>  WHEREAS, although at present NIB's policy is that the blind should be 
> paid at least the minimum wage, several NIB workshops do not adhere to 
> this policy, and NIB officials maintain that they cannot require the 
> workshops to do so; and
>
>  WHEREAS, blind people must be allowed to determine for themselves whether 
> an NIB program is their desired employment outcome and not be subjected to 
> a vocational rehabilitation system incentivized to achieve easy 
> placements: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization condemn and deplore National Industries for the 
> Blind's campaign to change the definition of an "employment outcome"; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge the Secretary 
> of the U.S. Department of Education and the Commissioner of the 
> Rehabilitation Services Administration to retain the current definition of 
> "employment outcome," which will continue to place the emphasis of 
> rehabilitation on employment in integrated settings rather than on easy 
> closure of cases or the support of National Industries for the Blind.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-12
>
>  Regarding Developer Guidelines and Application Programming Interfaces 
> (APIs) from Vendors of Screen-Access Software
>
>  WHEREAS, the ability of blind computer users to use fully the functions 
> available in word processors, email clients, database programs, Web 
> browsers, and other Windows-based applications requires screen-access 
> software to have the information it needs to provide meaningful 
> information in speech, refreshable Braille, or magnification; and
>
>  WHEREAS, despite a tremendous amount of information published by 
> Microsoft about developing accessible applications, the accessibility 
> guidelines and recommendations promulgated by the Worldwide Web Consortium 
> through its Web Access Initiative, and the standards and guidelines 
> implementing Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, not enough information 
> is available for the well-intentioned Windows application developer who 
> poses the question to the screen-access software developer, "What can I do 
> to make my application accessible to the blind users of your program?"; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, by contrast, developers of applications designed to run on Apple 
> platforms such as the Macintosh and the iPhone are provided a rich set of 
> guidelines and application programming interfaces designed to maximize 
> accessibility to end users of Apple products who rely on access 
> technology; and
>
>  WHEREAS, experience has shown that, from the perspective of the blind 
> computer user of Windows software, the most accessible application is the 
> one that can pass meaningful information directly to the screen-access 
> program--either through a well-documented application programming 
> interface or by painting the screen in a way that is calculated to 
> generate meaningful output from the screen-access technology: Now, 
> therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization call upon the manufacturers of Windows-based 
> screen-access technology for the blind to do one or both of the following 
> to enable application developers to maximize the accessibility of their 
> software to the blind: (1) develop a well-documented application 
> programming interface (API) through which application software can 
> exchange meaningful information with screen-access technology; and (2) 
> publish clear and definitive guidelines for application developers that 
> will enable them to make their applications truly accessible to the blind 
> end user.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-13
>
>  Regarding Insurance Coverage of Accessible Equipment for Diabetics
>
>  WHEREAS, standard medical treatment for diabetics calls for the patient 
> to monitor blood glucose levels so that he or she can make adjustments in 
> the amount of insulin needed; and
>
>  WHEREAS, certain health insurance plans dictate what brand of diabetic 
> equipment a member must use to comply with the treatment regimen, claiming 
> that this strategy controls costs for both the insurer and the insured; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, most insurance companies contract strictly with one 
> manufacturer, who typically provides only inaccessible blood glucose 
> meters and inaccessible insulin injection devices, presenting a serious 
> obstacle to complying with the testing regimen for tens of thousands of 
> blind people with diabetes; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the failure to place accessible blood glucose meters and 
> accessible insulin injection devices on the insurers' formulary lists not 
> only is a barrier to independence for blind diabetics, but also adversely 
> affects their quality of life because of the added difficulties they must 
> confront in attempting to manage and control their diabetes; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the only way blind diabetics can acquire an accessible blood 
> glucose meter or accessible insulin injection device is through a long and 
> complicated process of submitting extensive medical documentation, and 
> approval is not guaranteed; and
>
>  WHEREAS, blind people have the same right to health care as their sighted 
> peers; and
>
>  WHEREAS, insurance companies must no longer be allowed to discriminate 
> against blind people because of their need for specialized equipment; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the denial of accessible equipment by insurance companies 
> undermines the emphasis on preventive care set forth in the 2010 federal 
> healthcare reform legislation: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization strongly urge the secretary of health and human 
> services to eliminate discrimination against the blind by requiring that 
> Medicare, Medicaid, and all other medical insurance programs under the 
> secretary's jurisdiction cover accessible equipment for diabetics; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge state 
> legislatures and regulators to eliminate discrimination against the blind 
> by requiring private medical insurance companies to cover accessible 
> equipment for diabetics.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-14
>
>  Regarding Access by the Blind to Virtual Laboratory Experiences in the 
> Sciences
>
>  WHEREAS, science classes have presented access barriers to the blind for 
> decades; and
>
>  WHEREAS, these barriers have been created by a lack of accessible 
> equipment and materials and by misconceptions held by science faculty and 
> teachers of the blind about the capabilities of the blind in these 
> curricula; and
>
>  WHEREAS, these misconceptions have contributed to a significantly lower 
> percentage of blind students pursuing careers in science, technology, 
> engineering, and mathematics (STEM); and
>
>  WHEREAS, increasingly school districts across the United States have 
> replaced hands-on science learning with online virtual laboratory 
> experiences; and
>
>  WHEREAS, many of these virtual laboratory experiences are not accessible 
> using the access technology employed by blind students, thereby denying 
> them the experience of scientific exploration and discovery; and
>
>  WHEREAS, this lack of educational experience and opportunity will further 
> decrease the number of blind students seeking to enter STEM professions; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is creating greater 
> understanding among teachers by offering challenging STEM-related programs 
> that serve as a demonstration of the techniques that can be used to 
> integrate the blind into STEM courses: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization urge the United States Department of Education to 
> mandate that all hands-on and virtual laboratory learning experiences be 
> accessible to blind students so that they can have the same educational 
> opportunities as their sighted classmates; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization promote legislation as part 
> of the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
> (IDEA) to provide parents and blind students with legal recourse 
> provisions in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) to require that a 
> school provide a hands-on science learning experience if an accessible 
> virtual one cannot be offered; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge technology companies 
> to work with the National Federation of the Blind to eliminate the 
> accessibility barriers to virtual laboratory learning experiences, making 
> them more accessible to the blind of this nation.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-15
>
>  Regarding Discrimination by Airlines Against Blind Passengers
>
>  WHEREAS, in an age in which the Internet increasingly dominates the way 
> business is conducted, air carriers usually make their lowest fares and 
> deepest discounts available only to those customers who book travel 
> through airline Websites; and
>
>  WHEREAS, while booking air travel online can be convenient, blind 
> passengers cannot always take advantage of this service because of 
> accessibility barriers on airline Websites; and
>
>  WHEREAS, in recognition of this fact the Department of Transportation 
> issued regulations requiring that, if a passenger with a disability cannot 
> use an airline Website to book travel because it is inaccessible and 
> instead calls the airline's customer service number, the airline must 
> offer the passenger the same air fares and discounts available on the 
> Website over the telephone and must waive any fee for the use of the 
> telephone service; and
>
>  WHEREAS, a recent study conducted by Dr. Jonathan Lazar, director of the 
> Universal Usability Laboratory (UUL) at Towson University in Maryland, and 
> some of his students found that Websites operated by four out of the ten 
> U.S. airlines that were studied--Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airlines, United 
> Airlines, and US Airways--contain accessibility barriers that prevent 
> blind users from booking travel on these Websites; and
>
>  WHEREAS, this study, which will be published in Government Information 
> Quarterly, further found that, when the call centers of these four 
> airlines were contacted by study participants who identified themselves as 
> blind people needing to book travel by telephone because they could not 
> access the airline's Website, the airlines did not always follow the 
> Department of Transportation regulations requiring them to offer the same 
> air fares to blind customers who call their customer service lines and to 
> waive the fee for using their call center instead of their Website, even 
> when specifically informed by the caller of these regulations; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the most egregious violators of these regulations were United 
> Airlines and US Airways, which failed to follow one or both of these 
> regulatory requirements in at least a third and as many as 46 percent of 
> the calls placed to them; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the results of this study are a textbook example of why 
> government agencies and businesses must not rely on a philosophy of 
> separate-but-equal access for blind customers, since in reality separate 
> is never equal; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the only way to ensure truly equal access by the blind and to 
> prevent discrimination is to require air carriers to maintain accessible 
> Websites that allow blind customers to perform all of the functions that 
> sighted customers can perform, particularly the booking of air travel: 
> Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization urge the secretary of transportation to issue 
> regulations requiring all air carriers to maintain accessible Websites 
> that allow blind customers to perform all of the functions available to 
> sighted customers, including the booking of air travel; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that the four 
> airlines whose Websites were identified as having accessibility barriers 
> take immediate steps to remove those barriers and allow blind customers 
> full and equal access to their Websites and specifically to the ability to 
> book air travel online.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-16
>
>  Regarding the Randolph-Sheppard Act and the
>
>  Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled
>
>  WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Act applies to all federal contracts and 
> permits for cafeteria and food services on federal property; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Act takes priority over the 
> Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act in contracts for cafeteria and food services; and
>
>  WHEREAS, notwithstanding the Randolph-Sheppard Act's priority, the 
> Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled 
> routinely seeks to add cafeteria and food services to its procurement list 
> without notice to the Rehabilitation Services Administration or the 
> affected state licensing agencies; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
> Disabled also routinely seeks to add mess-attendant or 
> dining-facilities-attendant services to the procurement list without 
> notice to the Rehabilitation Services Administration or the affected state 
> licensing agencies and without providing information from which it can be 
> determined whether the services fall under the Randolph-Sheppard Act; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
> Disabled has refused to respond to requests for information about services 
> proposed for addition to the procurement list: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization condemn and deplore the actions of the Committee 
> for Purchase >From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled in continuing 
> to place on the procurement list services that fall under the 
> Randolph-Sheppard Act; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization condemn and deplore the 
> refusal of the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or 
> Severely Disabled to follow appropriate, transparent, and accountable 
> practices to determine which contracts should be placed on the procurement 
> list; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the Committee for 
> Purchase >From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled and other federal 
> agencies to provide full details about the services proposed for addition 
> to the procurement list so that all interested stakeholders can be assured 
> that the addition complies with all applicable laws; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the House 
> Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Committee on 
> Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to take such actions as will 
> require the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely 
> Disabled to comply with the law.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-17
>
>  Regarding Online Testing
>
>  WHEREAS, many school districts throughout the country are now using 
> online test preparation sites, such as Study Island by CTB/McGraw-Hill, to 
> aid their students in readying themselves for the assessments used in 
> their states to determine progress in meeting the goals of the No Child 
> Left Behind Act and other end-of-course requirements; and
>
>  WHEREAS, Study Island and other preparation and testing sites have failed 
> to incorporate adequate accessibility features to allow blind or visually 
> impaired students to access all of the needed information to prepare for 
> and take pretests; and
>
>  WHEREAS, this inaccessibility is evidenced in designs that convey 
> essential information to the student by using color, strike-throughs, 
> unlabeled graphics, and split frames, all of which create barriers for the 
> blind student; and
>
>  WHEREAS, these barriers result in blind test takers' being evaluated more 
> on the accessibility of the computer programs used to administer the 
> pretests than on the content the test is intended to measure; and
>
>  WHEREAS, cooperation with organizations of and for the blind can result 
> in software solutions that ensure equality of opportunity to blind 
> students preparing for these all-important tests: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization call upon the United States Department of Education 
> to ensure that any test preparation company receiving a contract to 
> produce statewide or national tests or study materials build accessibility 
> features into its software and make its Websites accessible to the blind; 
> and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that until such time as electronically 
> administered tests and study materials are as usable by the blind as they 
> are by the sighted, this organization insist that all materials be made 
> available in hard-copy Braille, large print, and such other alternative 
> formats as may be necessary to ensure that preparation for and 
> administration of tests are equally accessible to blind people.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-18
>
>  Regarding the Blind Persons Return to Work Act of 2010
>
>  WHEREAS, on January 28, 2010, Senators Christopher Dodd of Connecticut 
> and John McCain of Arizona introduced the Blind Persons Return to Work Act 
> of 2010 (S. 2962), the Senate companion to the Blind Persons Return to 
> Work Act of 2009 (H.R. 886), introduced in the House last year by 
> Congressman John Lewis of Georgia; and
>
>  WHEREAS, this legislation would encourage blind people to reach their 
> full employment potential by reforming the Social Security Disability 
> Insurance (SSDI) program so that blind beneficiaries will lose only one 
> dollar of benefits for every three dollars earned over the monthly limit, 
> instead of losing all benefits when they exceed this limit; and
>
>  WHEREAS, this legislation will also relieve administrative burdens for 
> both the Social Security Administration and blind beneficiaries by 
> changing the monthly earnings test to an annual test and by setting a 
> fixed deduction for impairment-related work expenses; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has worked tirelessly for 
> well over ten years to remove the disincentive to work in the SSDI program 
> so that blind beneficiaries can transition from SSDI to the workforce 
> without being penalized for doing so; and
>
>  WHEREAS, in 1999 Congress recognized this problem and passed Ticket to 
> Work legislation that was supposed to establish a demonstration project to 
> test the viability of a two-for-one earnings-to-benefit reduction program; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, despite over ten years' having elapsed, the demonstration 
> project has yet to begin because of changes in leadership and 
> disagreements among actuaries; and
>
>  WHEREAS, with a 70 percent rate of unemployment and underemployment for 
> the blind, we cannot wait for the stalled demonstration project to begin; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, the United States Senate is working on a jobs bill to address 
> the high unemployment rate across America, which affects people with 
> disabilities even more than the rest of the population: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization urge the United States Senate to include provisions 
> of the Blind Persons Return to Work Act of 2010 in the Senate jobs bill to 
> ensure that blind people can successfully enter the workforce and reach 
> their full employment potential; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization urge Congress to pass this 
> jobs bill, thus passing the Blind Persons Return to Work Act; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this organization commend Congressman Lewis 
> and Senators Dodd and McCain for their longtime championing of the Blind 
> Persons Return to Work Act and loyalty to our cause.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-19
>
>  Regarding NLS Restrictions on Foreign-Produced Materials
>
>  WHEREAS, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically 
> Handicapped of the Library of Congress (NLS) has a long history of 
> providing reading materials in Braille and recorded formats to its 
> patrons; and
>
>  WHEREAS, NLS is able to produce only approximately 2,000 books per year, 
> a mere fraction of the number of books published in the U.S. each year; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, in recognition of the dearth of books available to its patrons, 
> NLS has in the past offered materials recorded by libraries and producers 
> outside the United States through interlibrary loan; and
>
>  WHEREAS, although NLS still permits patrons to borrow Braille materials 
> from producers outside the U.S., in 2008 following the conversion to 
> digital audio format and the development of the Braille and Audio Reading 
> Download program, NLS discontinued interlibrary loan of digital audio 
> materials from foreign producers; and
>
>  WHEREAS, one of the principal reasons for this discontinuation is the 
> incompatibility of file formats with the NLS system, which requires 
> features not available to international producers; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the expectation of greater access to materials created by the 
> digitization of books is now being curtailed because of the new NLS policy 
> on digital audio books from foreign producers: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the City of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization urge NLS immediately to work with foreign producers 
> of digital audio materials to fulfill the real promise of access made 
> possible by today's advanced digital technology.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-20
>
>  Regarding Refreshable Braille Notetaker Devices
>
>  WHEREAS, the advent of refreshable Braille technology has made Braille 
> more portable; more flexible; and, best of all, more widely available than 
> ever before; and
>
>  WHEREAS, refreshable-Braille technology is becoming increasingly 
> necessary in educating blind children because a rapidly increasing portion 
> of the reading material is available only in an on-screen format; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the failure to provide blind students with a Braille interface 
> reduces their opportunity to acquire literacy skills because they are 
> forced to listen to the material using computer speech output; and
>
>  WHEREAS, personal data assistants with refreshable Braille displays (more 
> commonly known as electronic notetakers) include the ability for the user 
> to handle word processing, email, and Web browsing, providing potential 
> for seamless communication between those who use Braille and those who use 
> print; and
>
>  WHEREAS, despite the advertised claims that these devices are compatible 
> with mainstream word processors, the reality is that none of them allows a 
> Braille user the security of knowing they can author, read, or collaborate 
> with sighted peers who use current versions of today's popular 
> applications, even though the Braille devices cost three to four times as 
> much as the hardware and software used by the general public; and
>
>  WHEREAS, while all of these Braille notetakers advertise access to the 
> Internet and feature some version of a browser, most do not allow 
> communication with even the most basic Java scripts used to gain access at 
> airports and hotels, and they are not compatible with Aria and other 
> technologies currently being deployed by businesses, Internet providers, 
> and even social-networking sites; and
>
>  WHEREAS, many of today's mainstream computers, phones, and PDAs can be 
> accessed in Braille by connecting them to a type of refreshable Braille 
> display that is not itself a notetaker, giving the user access to the 
> power and integration of the mainstream device but sacrificing some of the 
> convenience of an all-in-one device (as are the notetakers): Now, 
> therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization urge the designers and manufacturers of notetakers 
> with refreshable Braille displays to give top priority in their future 
> development to providing better integration with mainstream devices, 
> applications, and data; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly encourage school 
> districts and others involved in the purchase of educational access 
> technology to acquire refreshable Braille technology for blind students 
> and to consider the need for integration with mainstream devices, 
> applications, and data when choosing which devices to purchase.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-21
>
>  Regarding Manufacture of Accessible Medical Devices
>
>  WHEREAS, diabetics must measure the level of glucose in their blood 
> accurately and draw the correct amount of insulin in order to control 
> their diabetes and to reduce the risk of diabetic complications; and
>
>  WHEREAS, tens of thousands of diabetics need nonvisual access to 
> equipment such as blood glucose meters and insulin-injection and infusion 
> devices because diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among adults of 
> working age in the United States with thousands losing their vision each 
> year; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the need for nonvisual access is even greater because many blind 
> and visually impaired senior citizens become diabetic and many diabetic 
> senior citizens lose vision either temporarily or permanently from causes 
> other than diabetes; and
>
>  WHEREAS, nonvisual access means that a blind person can use all features, 
> functions, and navigation aspects of a given device, and merely providing 
> speech output does not constitute true accessibility; and
>
>  WHEREAS, some manufacturers of diabetic equipment incorporate true 
> nonvisual access features in their devices, but more companies must be 
> encouraged to follow this practice; and
>
>  WHEREAS, to meet the goal of emphasizing wellness programs in the 2010 
> healthcare reform legislation, the federal government should encourage 
> manufacturers to ensure true nonvisual access to their devices; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is currently 
> promulgating regulations for health information technology programs, but 
> the scope of the regulations should be broadened to include medical 
> devices as well: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization strongly urge the secretary of the U.S. Department 
> of Health and Human Services to incorporate true nonvisual access 
> requirements for the manufacture of diabetic devices in its health 
> information technology regulations; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization insist that the secretary 
> of health and human services create incentives that will lead to greater 
> accessibility of current and future diabetic equipment.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-22
>
>  Regarding Inaccessible Basic Cell Phones and Smartphones
>
>  WHEREAS, more and more manufacturers are introducing basic cell phones 
> and smartphones with an ever increasing number of capabilities such as 
> call management, contact management, text messaging, Internet browsing, 
> and e-mail; and
>
>  WHEREAS, some of these phones even have the capability to function as 
> social networking content aggregators for Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and 
> Windows Live; and
>
>  WHEREAS, despite the requirements of Section 255 of the 
> Telecommunications Act and best industry practices, as demonstrated by 
> Apple, for making cell phones accessible to the blind out of the box, too 
> many manufacturers release cell phones without any way for blind users to 
> access many of their features; and
>
>  WHEREAS, many companies advertise their commitment to accessibility but 
> ignore our needs, despite the fact that blind consumers are now, and have 
> been for many years, purchasers of basic cell phones and smartphones: Now, 
> therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization condemn and deplore the release of these 
> inaccessible basic cell phones and smartphones by manufacturers in 
> flagrant disregard of both their legal obligations and their obligation to 
> provide equal access to their products for all consumers, including the 
> blind; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that manufacturers 
> follow the lead of Apple and immediately take steps to provide equal 
> access for the blind to all current and future basic cell phones and 
> smartphones.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-23
>
>  Regarding Sirius XM Radio, Inc.
>
>  WHEREAS, Sirius XM Radio, Inc., is the sole provider in the United States 
> of radio programming delivered by satellite to paid subscribers using 
> receivers specifically designed to receive these satellite transmissions; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, the service provided by Sirius XM offers a wide variety of audio 
> programming, including most genres of music, live sporting events, news, 
> talk, comedy, and both classic and contemporary radio drama; and
>
>  WHEREAS, despite the fact that Sirius XM is a radio service, the units 
> that subscribers must purchase in order to receive the service have visual 
> displays to convey information to the listener such as the title and 
> artist of the current song being played or the score of the sporting event 
> to which the listener is tuned; and
>
>  WHEREAS, Sirius XM also transmits some information exclusively to the 
> visual display such as the latest stock quotes and the current temperature 
> and weather conditions when a user is tuned to its traffic and weather 
> channels; and
>
>  WHEREAS, sighted users of the service can perform a number of tasks such 
> as viewing the current time, date, signal reception, and battery status of 
> the receiver; setting the receiver to record a scheduled program; viewing 
> what is playing across the service without switching stations; organizing 
> recorded music and programs; creating, organizing, and navigating a list 
> of favorite channels; and much more, but these features are not available 
> to blind users because they cannot read the visual display; and
>
>  WHEREAS, like many other consumer electronic products, Sirius XM radio 
> receivers increasingly rely on touch screens and interactive visual 
> interfaces to accomplish all tasks, rather than traditional buttons, 
> switches, or knobs, making it difficult for blind users to access even the 
> basic features of these receivers; and
>
>  WHEREAS, despite these barriers to full access to the Sirius XM satellite 
> radio service, many blind Americans have purchased subscriptions to the 
> service because of its wide variety of quality radio programming, and it 
> is likely that many more would do so if Sirius XM were to make its radio 
> receivers accessible; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the technology to make these receivers accessible already exists 
> and has been implemented in other personal entertainment devices such as 
> Apple's iPod and iPhone product lines and the DICE ITR-100-A HD radio; and
>
>  WHEREAS, accessible Sirius XM receivers that allow users to access all 
> functions nonvisually would not only benefit blind consumers, but would 
> also be ideal for older Americans who are losing vision, for those with 
> other disabilities that prevent them from reading print, and for the many 
> subscribers who use the service in their cars, since they would be able to 
> control their satellite radios with less distraction from driving: Now, 
> therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization urge Sirius XM Radio, Inc., to make its receivers 
> fully accessible to blind subscribers.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-24
>
>  Regarding the Worldwide Reading Rights Campaign and the
>
>  Right to Get Accessible Texts from Throughout the World
>
>  WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has led the way in 
> advancing the rights of the blind to gain access to published works on the 
> national and international levels; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Federation's national efforts resulted in passage of the 
> Chafee Amendment to U.S. copyright law, which permits authorized entities 
> to reproduce published works in accessible formats without permission from 
> the copyright holder; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the vast majority of the countries of the world do not possess 
> such laws or possess laws that are much weaker; and
>
>  WHEREAS, generally speaking, international copyright law does not 
> currently permit the sharing of accessible texts across international 
> borders, with the result that blind people in the United States cannot get 
> access to hundreds of thousands of works in accessible formats produced in 
> other countries, and blind people throughout the rest of the world cannot 
> get access to the United States collection, creating a worldwide book 
> famine, in which less than one percent of all published works are 
> available to the blind in accessible formats; and
>
>  WHEREAS, this inability to share accessible books across borders and the 
> international inconsistency in copyright law lead either to needless 
> duplication in the conversion of published works into accessible formats 
> or to no access at all; and
>
>  WHEREAS, to address this book famine, the National Federation of the 
> Blind worked with the World Blind Union (WBU) to draft a proposed treaty 
> that would legalize the cross-border sharing of accessible works and also 
> harmonize copyright exceptions to create an atmosphere in which even 
> greater numbers of accessible works can be produced; and
>
>  WHEREAS, in 2008 the WBU brought this proposed treaty before the World 
> Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an entity of the United 
> Nations, through original sponsorship by Brazil, Ecuador, and Paraguay, 
> and later by Mexico; and
>
>  WHEREAS, from June 21 through 24, 2010, WIPO's Standing Committee on 
> Copyright (SCCR) conducted its twentieth regular session (SCCR 20) in 
> Geneva, where the WBU-proposed treaty and three other proposals on the 
> same topic received extensive consideration; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind received official standing 
> as an authorized non-governmental organization (NGO) and gave an 
> intervention in favor of the WBU-proposed treaty and/or some other binding 
> international legal instrument; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the SCCR cannot make recommendations unless all nations present 
> agree; and
>
>  WHEREAS, after years of negotiation between governments and NGOs, it 
> appeared that a proposal would go forward at SCCR 20 that would have led 
> to binding international legal instruments within a definite time; and
>
>  WHEREAS, at the last minute, despite the Herculean efforts of the WBU 
> community, the U.S. government delegation, and the Latin American block of 
> countries, the African Union countries withdrew their support for the 
> negotiated proposal, stating that one of their issues (gaining copyright 
> exceptions for educational, research, and archive purposes) must proceed 
> at the same pace as the issue affecting the blind, even though the African 
> Union's proposal addresses an entirely different subject and is not as 
> well developed at this time: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization reaffirm its support for the World Blind Union's 
> proposed Treaty for the Visually Impaired; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization express its great outrage 
> and disappointment that the African Union chose to hijack the proposed WBU 
> treaty and related proposals, an action needlessly delaying relief from 
> the worldwide book famine for blind people; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization commend the U.S. government 
> delegation's efforts in Geneva to keep the process moving forward; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the U.S. 
> government to work closely with the National Federation of the Blind, the 
> WBU, and other governments to find a way forward to the adoption of 
> binding international norms and legal instruments that permit cross-border 
> sharing of accessible works and harmonize copyright exceptions as part of 
> the overall effort to secure the right of blind people to read published 
> works on the same terms as the rest of the world population.
>
>  ------------
>
>  Resolution 2010-25
>
>  Regarding Civil Rights Protection of Blind People
>
>  and Their Service Animals in Public Accommodations
>
>  WHEREAS, the purpose of the National Federation of the Blind is "the 
> removal of the legal, social, and economic barriers faced by the blind" so 
> that we will achieve "full integration into society on terms of equality"; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, discrimination by places of public accommodation is one of the 
> barriers faced by the blind, especially among those who choose to use a 
> guide dog as their mobility tool; and
>
>  WHEREAS, state laws vary in the protection from discrimination that they 
> offer to their blind citizens; and
>
>  WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits 
> discrimination on the basis of disability in public accommodations and 
> offers greater protection against discrimination than many state laws; and
>
>  WHEREAS, many states have laws that contain provisions that are 
> incongruent with the ADA such as requirements that service animals wear 
> specific gear, provisions for muzzling, requirements for documentation, 
> language concerning certifications that do not exist, and prohibitions of 
> service animals in zoos, all of which are considered discriminatory under 
> the ADA; and
>
>  WHEREAS, although the ADA has been in existence for twenty years, many 
> states have not bothered to change their laws to conform to the ADA; and
>
>  WHEREAS, a large majority of states provide criminal penalties for 
> discrimination on the basis of disability, allowing law enforcement to 
> intervene, generally resulting in an immediate resolution of such access 
> issues while providing appropriate penalties for more serious infractions; 
> and
>
>  WHEREAS, criminal penalties allow a more expeditious resolution of such 
> access issues (benefiting the disabled community in general and society as 
> a whole) by addressing discrimination at the local level, while relieving 
> individuals from the burden of costly litigation and prolonged civil 
> processes: Now, therefore,
>
>  BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention 
> assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, 
> that this organization call upon state legislatures to examine their 
> statutes for parity with the ADA, removing provisions that are not in 
> conformity with this federal law; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the remaining 
> states that do not provide criminal penalties for discrimination against 
> blind guide dog users to promote and protect the equal rights of their 
> blind citizens more effectively by creating criminal penalties for acts of 
> discrimination; and
>
>  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge all states to protect 
> the civil rights of the blind by vigorous enforcement of the law.
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