[Nfbf-l] Fw: Good News for Blind and Visually Impaired People

[Kirk]

Peter and Mark, this suit was  filed originally by theAmerican Councel of 
the Blind (ACB) and I have been receiving e-mails from many friends today 
that are members and their forwarding me the ruling of their suit. I just 
thought I would let you two know who was the victor behind this suit. I am 
personally excited  to here of this victory for all of us and thought it 
appropriate to give the Acb a hats off for this effort for the benefit  for 
all of us! Your friend in the cause, KH



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark" <markspark at bellsouth.net>
To: "NFB of Florida Listserv" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "Sue Ellen" <susanmelo at bellsouth.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 6:25 PM
Subject: [Nfbf-l] Fw: Good News for Blind and Visually Impaired People


>
> Mark Tardif
> You can't hug your loved ones with nuclear arms
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Peter Russillo" <plrussillo at bellsouth.net>
> To: "Mark" <markspark at bellsouth.net>
> Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 5:13 PM
> Subject: Fw: Good News for Blind and Visually Impaired People
>
>
>> Mark, just got this from Allan Dicey, who sends these kinds of things to 
>> people to pass along info, so I'm passing this along to you and Sue Ellen 
>> for your perusal.  Thanks.
>>
>> Peter
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Alan Dicey" <adicey at bellsouth.net>
>> To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
>> Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 1:13 AM
>> Subject: Good News for Blind and Visually Impaired People
>>
>>
>>> Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer
>>>
>>> Tuesday, October 20, 2009
>>>
>>> (10-20) 17:17 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- The Social Security Administration 
>>> must
>>> give the nation's 3 million blind or visually impaired recipients the 
>>> option
>>> of receiving benefit notices in braille or by audio computer disc, a 
>>> federal
>>> judge in San Francisco said Tuesday.
>>>
>>> Ruling in a nationwide class-action suit, U.S. District Judge William 
>>> Alsup
>>> said that by sending notices only by mail and phone calls, the agency is
>>> violating a law that guarantees the disabled equal access to its 
>>> programs.
>>> He ordered the government to make the additional choices available by 
>>> April
>>> 15.
>>>
>>> The case involves some of the 100 million notices the Social Security
>>> Administration sends each year to its 61 million beneficiaries, advising
>>> them of scheduled appointments, program changes, tax filings and 
>>> possible
>>> benefit cuts.
>>>
>>> About 250,000 Americans receive benefits because of blindness, and 
>>> another
>>> 2.7 million blind or sight-impaired people get Social Security for other
>>> reasons.
>>>
>>> Under rules authorized by Congress in 1988 and 1990, they can choose to 
>>> be
>>> notified of agency actions by mail, with a follow-up phone call, or by
>>> certified mail with a return receipt. Those who make no choice are 
>>> contacted
>>> by mail without a phone call.
>>>
>>> Alsup said the current system may have been effective 20 years ago, but 
>>> no
>>> longer provides the "meaningful access" the law requires, in light of
>>> advanced technology.
>>>
>>> Little evidence was presented that blind people had lost benefits 
>>> because of
>>> inadequate notice, Alsup said, but the current system is ineffective for 
>>> at
>>> least some recipients.
>>>
>>> For example, he said, a blind person who needs to respond to a written
>>> notice must wait until someone is available to read it aloud, and may 
>>> have
>>> problems meeting government deadlines.
>>>
>>> Alsup said the Social Security Administration refused to acknowledge 
>>> that it
>>> was even covered by the anti-discrimination law until after the suit was
>>> filed in 2005, and "has been quick to find lame excuses for 
>>> noncompliance."
>>>
>>> The agency must inform all blind and visually impaired recipients by 
>>> Dec. 31
>>> that they will have the choice of getting notices in braille or by 
>>> Microsoft
>>> Word CD in mid-April, Alsup said. He said those who want another option,
>>> such as notification by e-mail, must be allowed to request it and show 
>>> why
>>> they need it.
>>>
>>> "This is a huge benefit," said attorney Silvia Yee of the Disability 
>>> Rights
>>> Education and Defense Fund in Berkeley, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. She
>>> said the ruling will allow many recipients "to have an independence in
>>> working with the (Social Security Administration) that they've never had
>>> before."
>>>
>>> Many sight-impaired recipients, particularly the young and those who 
>>> become
>>> blind later in life, can't read braille, Yee said, "but for people who 
>>> do
>>> read braille, it's their first choice." She said the CD option would
>>> particularly help younger recipients.
>>>
>>> Lowell Kepke, spokesman for the Social Security Administration's 
>>> regional
>>> office in Richmond, said the agency "will review the order and take 
>>> whatever
>>> actions are appropriate."
>>>
>>> E-mail Bob Egelko at
>>> begelko at sfchronicle.com <mailto:begelko%40sfchronicle.com> .
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer
>>>
>>> Tuesday, October 20, 2009
>>>
>>> (10-20) 17:17 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- The Social Security Administration 
>>> must
>>> give the nation's 3 million blind or visually impaired recipients the 
>>> option
>>> of receiving benefit notices in braille or by audio computer disc, a 
>>> federal
>>> judge in San Francisco said Tuesday.
>>>
>>> Ruling in a nationwide class-action suit, U.S. District Judge William 
>>> Alsup
>>> said that by sending notices only by mail and phone calls, the agency is
>>> violating a law that guarantees the disabled equal access to its 
>>> programs.
>>> He ordered the government to make the additional choices available by 
>>> April
>>> 15.
>>>
>>> The case involves some of the 100 million notices the Social Security
>>> Administration sends each year to its 61 million beneficiaries, advising
>>> them of scheduled appointments, program changes, tax filings and 
>>> possible
>>> benefit cuts.
>>>
>>> About 250,000 Americans receive benefits because of blindness, and 
>>> another
>>> 2.7 million blind or sight-impaired people get Social Security for other
>>> reasons.
>>>
>>> Under rules authorized by Congress in 1988 and 1990, they can choose to 
>>> be
>>> notified of agency actions by mail, with a follow-up phone call, or by
>>> certified mail with a return receipt. Those who make no choice are 
>>> contacted
>>> by mail without a phone call.
>>>
>>> Alsup said the current system may have been effective 20 years ago, but 
>>> no
>>> longer provides the "meaningful access" the law requires, in light of
>>> advanced technology.
>>>
>>> Little evidence was presented that blind people had lost benefits 
>>> because of
>>> inadequate notice, Alsup said, but the current system is ineffective for 
>>> at
>>> least some recipients.
>>>
>>> For example, he said, a blind person who needs to respond to a written
>>> notice must wait until someone is available to read it aloud, and may 
>>> have
>>> problems meeting government deadlines.
>>>
>>> Alsup said the Social Security Administration refused to acknowledge 
>>> that it
>>> was even covered by the anti-discrimination law until after the suit was
>>> filed in 2005, and "has been quick to find lame excuses for 
>>> noncompliance."
>>>
>>> The agency must inform all blind and visually impaired recipients by 
>>> Dec. 31
>>> that they will have the choice of getting notices in braille or by 
>>> Microsoft
>>> Word CD in mid-April, Alsup said. He said those who want another option,
>>> such as notification by e-mail, must be allowed to request it and show 
>>> why
>>> they need it.
>>>
>>> "This is a huge benefit," said attorney Silvia Yee of the Disability 
>>> Rights
>>> Education and Defense Fund in Berkeley, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. She
>>> said the ruling will allow many recipients "to have an independence in
>>> working with the (Social Security Administration) that they've never had
>>> before."
>>>
>>> Many sight-impaired recipients, particularly the young and those who 
>>> become
>>> blind later in life, can't read braille, Yee said, "but for people who 
>>> do
>>> read braille, it's their first choice." She said the CD option would
>>> particularly help younger recipients.
>>>
>>> Lowell Kepke, spokesman for the Social Security Administration's 
>>> regional
>>> office in Richmond, said the agency "will review the order and take 
>>> whatever
>>> actions are appropriate."
>>>
>>> E-mail Bob Egelko at
>>> begelko at sfchronicle.com <mailto:begelko%40sfchronicle.com> .
>>>
>>> ---
>>> Shepherds are the best beasts.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
>> Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.560 / Virus Database: 270.12.26/2116 - 
>> Release Date: 5/15/2009 6:16 AM
>>
>>
>
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