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

[ckrugman at sbcglobal.net]

It doesn't sound like a place where I would want to be a resident or 
citizen.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kenneth Chrane" <kenneth.chrane at verizon.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:


> 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
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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