[nfbmi-talk] these principles apply to mcb too

[joe harcz Comcast]

September 2, 1999

 

 

 

                                        Re: Complaint No.  01-99-3002

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

34 Everett St.

Manchester, NH 03104-2462

603-624-4904

harcz at office.mv.com

 

 

Mr. Robert Deakin,OCR

E-mail Correspondence

 

Dear Sir,

 

Attached you will find a copy of a National  Federation of the Blind, New Hampshire State Affiliate, Board of Directors resolution. This was an unambiguous request that the N.H. Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation makes its "Resource Rooms" fully accessible to Blind and Visually Impaired customers in accordance with Title II and Section 504. It was widely circulated in "The Federationist" our newsletter and also sent individually to key personnel in the N.H. Dept. of Ed by myself. It represents an entire class of disabled individuals requesting auxiliary aids and services.

 

Further Ms. Colleen Ives at the National Federation of the Blind's state conference on approximately Oct. 24, 1999 assured the entire audience that the resource rooms would be made fully accessible in January of 1999.

 

The Board of Directors at it's most recent meeting last Saturday expressed that anything short of immediate access to the facilities and equipment in the resource rooms servicing Vocational Rehabilitation customers is unacceptable.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

 

Cc: several

attachment     

Resolution:

To: All Relevant Parties

 

 

 

 

Whereas the N.H. Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (hereafter referred to as "The Bureau") has established resource rooms throughout New Hampshire in its seven regional offices equipped with computers and other technologies for the purposes of employment search, evaluation, training, etc. for its customers;

 

And whereas it is funded and mandated by state and federal law to assist persons with disabilities in such matters related to employment;

 

And whereas it is obligated under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to provide auxiliary aids an services which afford equivalent access to such equipment and services as it has in its resource rooms;

 

And whereas there currently exists no such adaptive aids (assistive technology)  to make its resource rooms accessible to persons who are blind, visually impaired or who have other disabilities related to the independent use of said computers and software we the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind of New Hampshire assembled at Angelo's Restaurant in Manchester New Hampshire on Saturday Sept.  12, 1998 unanimously passed a resolution supporting the following:

 

a. That The Bureau  with all due diligence purchase and install appropriate software and/or hardware which effectively magnifies the screen image of at least one computer in each of its resource rooms making it accessible to persons with visual impairments.

 

b. That The Bureau purchases and installs similar devices and software on at least one computer in each of its resource rooms which affords audio access to the computer and its software (i.e. screen reading software and/or hardware) for its customers who are blind or for whom screen enlargement is ineffective.

 

c. That The  Bureau ensures that  any such purchases and installation  make the full range of software including resume writing, word processing, internet access, etc.  fully and independently accessible to customers with visual impairments.

 

d. that appropriate Bureau staff

  are trained in the use of said technology and that it is properly maintained.

 

e. That The Bureau takes other measures to ensure that all other information and activities in the resource rooms  are also made accessible to persons who are blind or visually impaired such as provisions for printed information being made available in alternate formats in a timely manner; and that other equipment purchases and installation   such as Closed Circuit  Televisions (or other magnification devices), scanning technologies, and equipment related to the production of Braille ((i.e. Braille embossers and transcription software) be examined or otherwise evaluated for  need,  efficacy, and compliance again with all due diligence. 

 

e. That The Bureau follow the software accessibility  guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Education at the point of purchase to ensure that software purchase by the Bureau is indeed accessible to  the aforementioned screen reading, screen enhancement and related software; and that it is indeed in compliance with state and federal law obligating it to do so; and that it avail itself of the technical assistance offered by the U.S. Department of Education in this regard.

 

 

 

John Parker, Pres. National Federation of the Blind, N.H.