[nfbmi-talk] Fw: web access difficult for people with disabilities in Michigan

[joe harcz Comcast]

This post sent to former Michigan ADA Coordinator and current MCB Director Cannon, current Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services Director Cerano and past MPAS Director Bauer goes to known violations of the ADA, 504 and other laws issues related to access to information. They don't by the way deal only with the DHS web site in implication and in my documentation but with basics and fundamentals of effective communications.

But this e-mail alone goes to the fact that all these officials knew or should have known about obligations related to effective communications.

Now, I have of this date have not recieved dozens if not hundreds of requested documents via simple e-mail even after requests for same. All have been cc'd on these issues

What more needs to be proven? There isn't one entity including the Michigan Commission for the Blind that complies with the effective communications requirements of the ADA let alone those of 504.

This is an ongoing systemwide issue and won't be solved for the blind and other PWD until the entire state of Michigan and its subordinent bodies are sued.

Why they weren't under the previous Administration with all the clear cut conflicts of interests is self evident to me and highly politically motivated.

I have the contributions that are public between various parties. I know Mark Brewer is on the Board of Directors of MPAS. I know that MPAS is loath to sue one of its own but I also have all the inter connections and all the campaign contributions in these regards to including those made to Ms. Bauer.

Regardless suits are supposed to be made on the basis of facts and the law and not over political connections.

It is documented that MCB is in violation multiple times over the access to information item, and even to program access. In fact so is the entire state if one only looks at the DTMB surveys I've supplied everyone.

Bottom line it is time, long since time to sue these state actors for their documented violations over time against all people with disabilities, but most especially those who are blind for chronic, pernicious and malicious violations of all of our civil rights and that ladies and gentlemen includes the violations of my rights which have not now or have never been remedied by these scofflaws.

The exercise of civil rights should be non-partisan but clearly it has not been so as Democrats have been left off the hook as well as Republicans during the Engler Administration.

Now we've got a relatively new Republican Administration.

What the heck has changed?

Nothing at all.

If folks wish to get money for their operations I again suggest they sue the state big time and collect the llawyer's fees due any plaintiff's counsel that prevails in such obvious and "slam dunk" ADA/504 cases.

You've got evidence and other documentation here alone of a pattern and practice of abuse.

You've had more supplied over now close to a decade by yours trullly.

Does a blind lay person have to hold the hand of the entire state apparatus at every point and in time to get justice for himself and our class while you all suck down federal bucks and live relatively high on the hog compared to again the average blind person or others with disabilities?

Are we running a system of the rulle of law or that of the capricious and discriminatory rulle of man here in this once great state of Michigan?

Elmer Cerano you said words to the effect along with other staff of NMPAS how could you do more to outreach to clients of MCB? Well we can't get phone calls back from you or even on your own web site directory information.

Can't you all figure this out? We don't have access to the instruments of government in all its venues at the first instance and that includes in the adjudicative and even quasi-adjudicative process.

Oh, yes and why did the belatedly brave Duncan Wyeth send this message to me? Oh he was taking early retirement.

And he told me over the phone he couldn't do a thing anymore from the inside of state government because it was frankly and in a word "non-responsive".


Aagain my word given the passage of time, or rather words, is: "This is nothing but systemic, malicious, and pernicious mass discrimination."

Access is and of itself is an established civil right. It is far past time for enforcement.

Joe Harcz 



----- Original Message ----- 
From: Wyeth, Duncan (DELEG) 
To: joe harcz Comcast 
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2010 1:57 PM
Subject: FW: web access difficult for people with disabilities in Michigan


 

 

Duncan O. Wyeth

Executive Director

Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth

Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns

Victor Center

201 N. Washington Square,  Suite 150

Lansing, Michigan  48913

TEL:  517  335-0103

 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Elizabeth W. Bauer [mailto:ebauer7400 at aol.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2010 11:19 AM
To: ECERANO at mpas.org; Cannon, Patrick (DELEG); Collins, Vendella; Wyeth, Duncan (DELEG)
Cc: MCODY at mpas.org
Subject: Re: web access difficult for people with disabilities in Michigan

 

Thank you all. I find the entire state website difficult to navigate myself. When I saw this report, I thought perhaps a win for PWD would benefit us all.  Most of  the ADA accommodations do. 

 

Liz

Elizabeth W. Bauer, Member 
Michigan State Board of Education 
1355 Lake Park Drive 
Birmingham, MI 48009-1089 
248 540 4656 
www.michigan.gov/sbe 

"The secret of education is respecting the pupil." 
Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

-----Original Message-----
From: ELMER CERANO <ECERANO at mpas.org>
To: Elizabeth Bauer <ebauer7400 at aol.com>; cannonp at michigan.gov; collinsve at michigan.gov; wyethd2 at michigan.gov
Cc: MARK CODY <MCODY at mpas.org>
Sent: Wed, Sep 8, 2010 10:18 am
Subject: Re: web access difficult for people with disabilities in Michigan

we have been meeting with UCP/Michigan, Mich Disability Rights Network and Jackie Doig re: DHS ADA compliance. Their I.T. access is also a focus. Norm's group will look closer at the ADA compliance of the local DHS offices's IT access. >>> "Elizabeth W. Bauer" <ebauer7400 at aol.com> 9/6/2010 7:09 AM >>>  Hi Pat, Duncan, Vendella, Elmer, Are any of the advocacy groups raising this issue with state officials? It seems something that would benefit from a coordinated call for justice. What are the incoming officials thinking about it, planning to do?  Liz  From AAPD (9.1.10)Report Finds Five State Benefits' Websites Inaccessible to People with Disabilitiesby Jenifer Simpson, AAPD Senior Director of Government Affairs A June 22, 2010 report finds that state public benefits agencies are relying more on their websites as a means of providing information to the public, and as a means for applicants to secure Medicaid, food stamps, and cash assistance. However, the report, by the National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ)  at http://www.nclej.org/ , shows that at least five states * California, Florida, Michigan, New York and Texas * have agency websites with problems that make them inaccessible to people with disabilities who are users of assistive technology, and many websites are difficult for anyone to navigate. ...        Elizabeth W. Bauer, Member Michigan State Board of Education 1355 Lake Park Drive Birmingham, MI 48009-1089 248 540 4656 www.michigan.gov/sbe  "The secret of education is respecting the pupil." Ralph Waldo Emerson