[nfb-talk] Responce to NFB 2010 Resolutions:
Kenneth Chrane
kenneth.chrane at verizon.net
Sat Dec 4 22:09:08 UTC 2010
Go to:
http://www.republicfortheunitedstates.org,
Find contacts, then under Illinois, you will find the Name of The
Ambassador.
I sent Patty Chang the remarks of the ambassador.
Ken Chrane
----- Original Message -----
From: <ckrugman at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2010 3:08 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Responce to NFB 2010 Resolutions:
> 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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