[nfb-talk] Fw: Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:

[Ray Foret Jr]

Can't understand why.  This so-called New Republic sure seems flaky to me.

Why waste your time with flakes?


Sincerely, 
The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!

Now A Very Proud and very happy Mac user!!!

Skype Name:
barefootedray

On Jan 25, 2011, at 10:09 PM, Kenneth Chrane wrote:

> Hi Ray, I just wanted to get the point of view of some of the people in the newly restored Constitutional Republic.
> 
> Ken Chrane
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray Foret Jr" <rforetjr at att.net>
> To: <blinddog3 at charter.net>; "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 8:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:
> 
> 
>> Sort of makes me wonder why this so-called ambasador was written to in the first place.  "Do not spam this address again"?  I wonder why you bothered in the first place, knowing that was how they felt about our cause.
>> Sincerely,
>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
>> 
>> Now A Very Proud and very happy Mac user!!!
>> 
>> Skype Name:
>> barefootedray
>> 
>> On Jan 25, 2011, at 7:13 PM, Steven Johnson wrote:
>> 
>>> Kenneth, what are they an ambassador of?  I am guessing another blind
>>> organization that also has an agenda, but probably not one that works toward
>>> systemic change.
>>> 
>>> Thanks,
>>> Steve
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf Of Kenneth Chrane
>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 11:01 AM
>>> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>>> Subject: [nfb-talk] Fw: Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:
>>> 
>>> This ambassador sure hates the NFB.
>>> Ken Chrane
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: Carol
>>> To: kenneth.chrane at verizon.net
>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 11:55 AM
>>> Subject: Fw: Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: Illinois Ambassador
>>> To: Carol
>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 9:33 AM
>>> Subject: Re: Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Do not spam this address again.  We do not and will not work with anything
>>> that is defacto related
>>> I used to work with EEOC and the American Disabilities Act is filled with
>>> Constitutional violations.
>>> If you think it is ok to hinder the growth of one group to cater to another,
>>> you are mis-guided.
>>> All you people want is more legislation to enslave the masses with your
>>> agendas, whether honorable or not.
>>> There are other ways to help the blind and it sure isn't through more
>>> legislation and taxation or tax credits.
>>> YOU   do more harm thank good.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 1/24/2011 9:13 PM, Carol wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:
>>> 
>>> Priorities for the 112th Congress, FIRST Session
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest and largest
>>> organization of blind people in the United States.  As the Voice of the
>>> Nation's Blind, we represent the collective views of blind people throughout
>>> society.  All of our leaders and the vast majority of our members are blind,
>>> but anyone can participate in our movement.  There are an estimated 1.3
>>> million blind people in the United States, and every year approximately
>>> 75,000 Americans become blind.  The social and economic consequences of
>>> blindness affect not only blind people, but also our families, our friends,
>>> and our coworkers.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Three legislative initiatives demand the immediate attention of the 112th
>>> Congress in its first session.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Initiative 1
>>> 
>>> We urge Congress to work with blind Americans to create a Technology Bill
>>> of Rights for the Blind which mandates that consumer electronics, home
>>> appliances, kiosks, and electronic office technology and software provide
>>> user interfaces that are accessible through nonvisual means.
>>> 
>>> This legislation should:
>>> 
>>>   a.. Mandate that all consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and
>>> electronic office technology and software be designed so that blind people
>>> are able to access the same functions as sighted people by nonvisual means
>>> and with substantially equivalent ease of use.
>>>   b.. Create a commission within the Department of Commerce to establish
>>> standards for nonvisual accessibility of electronic devices intended for use
>>> in the home or office.  Such a commission should represent all stakeholders,
>>> including:
>>> -       organizations of the blind;
>>> 
>>> -       manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks,
>>> and electronic office technology and software, or associations representing
>>> such manufacturers; and
>>> 
>>> -       experts on universal design, electronic engineering, and related
>>> fields.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> .        Establish within the Department of Justice the authority to
>>> enforce the regulations promulgated by the commission established by this
>>> legislation.
>>> 
>>>   a.. Authorize the commission to reexamine and rewrite standards
>>> periodically as consumer electronic technology continues to evolve.
>>> 
>>> Initiative 2
>>> 
>>> We urge Congress to work with blind Americans to establish a commission
>>> within the Department of Education to set uniform national standards for the
>>> education of blind students in grades K-12.  The Individuals with
>>> Disabilities Education Act and other existing laws and regulations do not
>>> currently provide objective standards to measure the educational progress of
>>> blind students.
>>> 
>>> This legislation should:
>>> 
>>> .        Create a commission within the Department of Education, comprised
>>> to ensure representation of all stakeholders, to set educational standards
>>> for blind children, and to promulgate regulations.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Initiative 3
>>> 
>>> We urge Congress to increase business opportunities for disabled Americans
>>> by enacting the Americans with Disabilities Business Opportunity Act.
>>> 
>>> This legislation should:
>>> 
>>> .        Authorize tax credits to for-profit businesses that purchase
>>> goods or services from businesses owned by individuals with disabilities
>>> (including from businesses operated under the federal Randolph-Sheppard
>>> program),
>>> 
>>> .        Amend Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act to include people
>>> with disabilities as presumptively socially disadvantaged,
>>> 
>>> .        Change federal procurement law to provide that businesses owned
>>> by individuals with disabilities (including businesses operated under the
>>> federal Randolph-Sheppard program) are included on the list of preferred
>>> small businesses to which subcontracts must be awarded, and
>>> 
>>> .        Create training and technical assistance programs to prepare
>>> individuals with disabilities to operate businesses capable of securing
>>> federal and private contracts.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> For more information about these priorities, please consult the attached
>>> fact sheets.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Blind Americans need your help to achieve our goals of economic security,
>>> increased opportunity, and full integration into American society on a basis
>>> of equality.  Enactment of these legislative proposals will represent
>>> important steps toward reaching these goals.  We need the help and support
>>> of each member of Congress.  Our success benefits not only us, but the whole
>>> of America as well.  In this time of national economic insecurity, these
>>> measures will contribute to increasing the tax base and encouraging the
>>> purchase of consumer goods.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> A TECHNOLOGY BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE BLIND
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Purpose:
>>> 
>>> To mandate that consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and
>>> electronic office technology provide user interfaces and software that are
>>> accessible through nonvisual means.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Background:
>>> 
>>> In recent years rapid advances in microchip and digital technology have
>>> led to increasingly complex user interfaces for everyday products such as
>>> consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and electronic office
>>> technology.  Many new devices in these categories require interaction with
>>> visual displays, on-screen menus, touch screens, software, and other user
>>> interfaces that are inaccessible to people who are blind or have low vision.
>>> Settings on the stove, dishwasher, or home entertainment system are no
>>> longer controlled by knobs, switches, and buttons that can be easily
>>> discerned and readily identified.  Inaccessibility of these devices is a
>>> major barrier to a blind person's independence and productivity.  If a blind
>>> person cannot operate the interfaces of basic office equipment or software
>>> such as copiers, fax machines, and basic word processing programs, that
>>> person's opportunity to join the workforce or maintain an existing job is in
>>> great jeopardy.
>>> 
>>> Many popular, cost-effective mechanisms are available for manufacturers to
>>> create interfaces usable through nonvisual means.  For example,
>>> text-to-speech technology is inexpensive and more prevalent than it has ever
>>> been-it is used in everything from automated telephone systems to the
>>> weather forecasting service broadcast by the National Oceanic and
>>> Atmospheric Administration.  Apple has incorporated VoiceOver (a
>>> text-to-speech function) into the touch-screen iPhone, making it the only
>>> fully accessible wireless handset on the market.  The key is to build in
>>> nonvisual access at the design stage.  Despite these available accessibility
>>> solutions, the majority of manufacturers have continued to design interfaces
>>> that do not include nonvisual means of use.  This trend of inaccessibility
>>> will continue to grow as technology becomes more advanced and accessibility
>>> solutions are ignored.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Need for Legislation:
>>> 
>>> No enforceable mandates currently exist for manufacturers of consumer
>>> electronics, home appliances, kiosks, or electronic office technology to
>>> make their products accessible to blind consumers.  There are also no
>>> accessibility standards to provide guidance to manufacturers on how to avoid
>>> creating barriers to access for the blind.
>>> 
>>> Congress should enact a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind that:
>>> 
>>>   a.. Establishes that manufacturers must create accessible user
>>> interfaces for their products,
>>>   b.. Provides a means for enforcement, and
>>>   c.. Establishes standards that will provide meaningful benchmarks that
>>> manufacturers can use to make their products accessible.
>>> The legislation should not mandate a single, one-size-fits-all solution
>>> for all consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, or electronic office
>>> technology.  Rather it should mandate regulations setting meaningful
>>> accessibility standards that allow manufacturers to select from a menu of
>>> potential solutions or create new ones.  This will not only give
>>> manufacturers the freedom and flexibility they desire, but will also
>>> encourage innovations that make consumer technology more usable for
>>> everyone.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Proposed Legislation:
>>> 
>>> Congress should enact a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind that:
>>> 
>>>   a.. Mandates that all consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and
>>> electronic office technology be designed so that blind people are able to
>>> access the same functions as sighted people by nonvisual means and with
>>> substantially equivalent ease of use.
>>>   b.. Creates a commission within the Department of Commerce to establish
>>> standards for nonvisual accessibility of electronic devices intended for use
>>> in the home or office.  Such a commission should represent all stakeholders,
>>> including:
>>> -       organizations of the blind;
>>> 
>>> -       manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks,
>>> and electronic office technology and software, or associations representing
>>> such manufacturers; and
>>> 
>>> -       experts on universal design, electronic engineering, and related
>>> fields.
>>> 
>>>   a.. Establishes within the Department of Justice the authority to
>>> enforce the regulations promulgated by the commission established by this
>>> legislation.
>>>   b.. Authorizes the commission to reexamine and rewrite standards
>>> periodically as consumer electronic technology continues to evolve.
>>> 
>>> Requested Action:
>>> 
>>> Please support blind Americans by sponsoring the Technology Bill of Rights
>>> for the Blind to ensure that blind people can fully participate in all
>>> aspects of society.  Increased access leads to increased independence,
>>> increased employment, and increased tax revenue.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Contact Information:
>>> 
>>> Lauren McLarney
>>> 
>>> Government Programs Specialist
>>> 
>>> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>>> 
>>> Phone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2207
>>> 
>>> E-mail: lmclarney at nfb.org
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ENSURING EQUAL EDUCATION FOR BLIND CHILDREN:
>>> 
>>> SETTING STANDARDS THAT PROMOTE EXCELLENCE
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Purpose:
>>> 
>>> To establish a commission within the Department of Education to set
>>> uniform national standards for the education of blind students in grades
>>> K-12.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Background:
>>> 
>>> Blind students have been integrated into America's public schools since
>>> the 1960s, but educators have never made an attempt to quantify or measure
>>> the quality of their education consistently and effectively.  Although
>>> school districts are required by law to provide a "free, appropriate public
>>> education" to all students with disabilities, current regulations and
>>> practices only establish what services and accommodations blind students
>>> will receive individually and do not measure or attempt to measure the
>>> effectiveness of these services and accommodations.  All too often this
>>> means that blind students are burdened with low expectations and inferior
>>> educational services.
>>> 
>>> To the extent that a blind child's performance is poor, too many educators
>>> incorrectly believe that this occurs because of the child's incapacity due
>>> to blindness rather than because of the inadequacy of the services and
>>> accommodations provided.  The real problem, however, is what former
>>> President George W. Bush called "the soft bigotry of low expectations." The
>>> low expectations of educators for blind children become self-fulfilling
>>> prophecies when blind students receive inadequate Braille instruction; are
>>> not provided textbooks and other educational materials in specialized
>>> formats on time; or are not given adequate instruction in the skills of
>>> blindness including the use of access technology.  Materials supporting the
>>> Common Core State Standards recently developed by the National Governors
>>> Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School
>>> Officers state that students with disabilities "must be challenged to excel
>>> within the general curriculum and be prepared for success in their
>>> post-school lives, including college and/or careers" and must receive
>>> appropriate accommodations to achieve academic excellence.  In order for
>>> this goal to become a reality, however, uniform national standards are
>>> needed to ensure that blind students have the skills they need to perform at
>>> age- and grade-appropriate levels throughout their educations.  Such
>>> standards will finally put an end to the vicious circle of low expectations
>>> and inadequate services that has condemned far too many blind children to
>>> lives of frustration, illiteracy, and ultimately poverty.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Existing Law:
>>> 
>>> The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides that every
>>> student with a disability must have an Individualized Education Program
>>> (IEP), agreed upon by a team that includes the student's parents, teachers,
>>> and school administrators.  While the IEP sets out what services and
>>> accommodations a student will receive and sets goals for the individual
>>> student's progress, the effectiveness of the IEP itself is not measured
>>> against objective benchmarks in order to determine whether the blindness
>>> skills being taught and services being provided are allowing the student to
>>> perform to the same standards as other students of the same age, grade
>>> level, or level of intellectual functioning.  Procedures exist for a child's
>>> parents to object if they believe that the IEP is not being followed or
>>> needs to be changed, but the process is onerous and puts the burden of proof
>>> on the parents to show that the child is not receiving an adequate
>>> education, rather than on school administrators to show that the IEP is
>>> producing good results.  Uniform standards outlining the services and
>>> accommodations that must be made available to all blind children, as well as
>>> the specific blindness skills the students need to acquire in order to
>>> succeed, would solve this problem by establishing benchmarks against which
>>> each child's performance would be measured, providing a clear and unbiased
>>> assessment of whether the child is being educated effectively.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Need for Legislation:
>>> 
>>> The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other existing laws
>>> and regulations do not currently provide objective standards to measure the
>>> effectiveness of the education of blind students against accepted standards
>>> like the Common Core State Standards.  Such standards must be set by a
>>> regulatory body that consists of and receives input from all stakeholders,
>>> including educators, blind Americans, and parents of blind children.
>>> Congress should enact legislation that creates a commission within the
>>> Department of Education, to ensure representation of all stakeholders in
>>> order to set educational standards for blind children and to promulgate
>>> regulations providing for the enforcement of the standards throughout the
>>> United States.  Only through the establishment of objective standards by
>>> such an independent body will blind children in America finally be freed
>>> from the chains of inadequate instruction, lackluster educational support,
>>> and low expectations.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Requested Action:
>>> 
>>> Please support blind Americans by sponsoring legislation to establish a
>>> commission within the Department of Education to set standards for the
>>> education of all blind children in America.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Contact Information:
>>> 
>>> Jesse Hartle
>>> 
>>> Government Programs Specialist
>>> 
>>> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>>> 
>>> Phone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2233
>>> 
>>> E-mail: jhartle at nfb.org
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ACT
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Purpose:
>>> 
>>> To unleash the entrepreneurial capacity of Americans with disabilities in
>>> order to reduce the staggering unemployment rate among these individuals and
>>> welcome them into the mainstream of American business.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Background:
>>> 
>>> According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than two-thirds of
>>> Americans with disabilities are unemployed or vastly under-employed. Strong
>>> and innovative initiatives are necessary to remedy this problem and put
>>> Americans with disabilities to work.  To a substantial degree America's
>>> economic success is tied to the freedom to engage in entrepreneurial
>>> activity and create one's own wealth.  It has long been the policy of the
>>> United States to promote the economic well-being of traditionally
>>> disadvantaged groups by creating a variety of business incentive programs
>>> that allow these groups to participate in the mainstream of the nation's
>>> economy.  These programs have not, however, been extended to Americans with
>>> disabilities.  The Americans with Disabilities Business Opportunity Act
>>> (ADBOA) would greatly expand the ability of Americans with disabilities to
>>> secure entrepreneurial opportunities by:
>>> 
>>> .        Authorizing tax credits to for-profit businesses that purchase
>>> goods or services from businesses owned by individuals with disabilities
>>> (including from businesses operated under the federal Randolph-Sheppard
>>> program);
>>> 
>>> .        Amending Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act to include people
>>> with disabilities as presumptively socially disadvantaged;
>>> 
>>> .        Changing federal procurement law to provide that businesses owned
>>> by individuals with disabilities (including businesses operated under the
>>> federal Randolph-Sheppard program) are included on the list of preferred
>>> small businesses to which subcontracts must be awarded; and
>>> 
>>> .        Creating training and technical assistance programs to prepare
>>> individuals with disabilities to operate businesses capable of securing
>>> federal and private contracts.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Need for Legislation:
>>> 
>>> Each of the four components of the ADBOA would enhance the ability of
>>> businesses operated by Americans with disabilities to be fully integrated
>>> into the mainstream of the American economy.  Together these components
>>> would reduce the unemployment rate among Americans with disabilities and
>>> make them fully productive members of society.
>>> 
>>> 1.    Tax Credits:  One effective method of encouraging and enticing
>>> business entities to subcontract with, or purchase goods and services from,
>>> businesses owned or operated by Americans with disabilities is to offer such
>>> entities tax credits.  These tax credits would allow traditional businesses
>>> to realize substantial tax savings and also promote the goal of integrating
>>> businesses owned by people with disabilities into the economic mainstream.
>>> 
>>> 2.    Amendment of Section 8(a):  Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act
>>> is a powerful program allowing businesses owned by racial, cultural, and
>>> ethnic minorities or women to secure federal contracts.  Anyone seeking
>>> Section 8(a) certification must prove that he/she is socially and
>>> economically disadvantaged.  Individuals who are from a racial, cultural, or
>>> ethnic minority or women are presumed to be socially disadvantaged. It is
>>> currently possible for individuals with disabilities to secure 8(a)
>>> certification, but such individuals must prove that they are socially
>>> disadvantaged.  It is onerous to establish such a disadvantage under current
>>> laws and regulations.  Placing people with disabilities on the presumptive
>>> list of those who are socially disadvantaged would create a much easier path
>>> to 8(a) certification for such individuals and therefore to the opportunity
>>> to secure federal contracts.
>>> 
>>> 3.    Changes to Federal Procurement Practices:  Under current law
>>> business entities attempting to secure large federal contracts must
>>> guarantee that they will subcontract a portion of the work to small
>>> businesses that are owned by traditionally disadvantaged populations.
>>> Businesses owned by individuals with disabilities are currently not on the
>>> list of disadvantaged populations.  ADBOA will permit for-profit business
>>> entities attempting to secure large federal contracts to meet procurement
>>> requirements by subcontracting with businesses owned by individuals with
>>> disabilities.
>>> 
>>> 4.    Establishment of Technical Assistance and Training Programs:
>>> Through the award of federal grants, ADBOA would establish technical
>>> assistance and training programs allowing business owners with disabilities
>>> to acquire the technical expertise to secure federal contracts and otherwise
>>> maximize entrepreneurial opportunities.  The purpose for these federal
>>> grants will be to increase substantially the number of individuals with
>>> disabilities capable of operating successful businesses.  The emphasis in
>>> federal disability policy in the past has not been on providing people with
>>> disabilities the tools and training necessary to support themselves. Rather
>>> many governmental programs for the disabled have been based on a welfare
>>> model.  ADBOA would emphasize economic independence for individuals with
>>> disabilities by training them to run their own businesses.  ADBOA grants
>>> would also allow entities to create tools to assist individuals with
>>> disabilities in running a successful business.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Requested Action:
>>> 
>>> Please support blind Americans by sponsoring the Americans with
>>> Disabilities Business Opportunity Act, legislation to increase business
>>> opportunities for disabled Americans.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Contact Information:
>>> 
>>> Jesse Hartle
>>> 
>>> Government Programs Specialist
>>> 
>>> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>>> 
>>> Phone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2233
>>> 
>>> E-mail: jhartle at nfb.org
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nfb-talk mailing list
>>> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
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>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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