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

Fri Dec 16 23:44:02 UTC 2011

If we take these people to court, who will be our attorney and how much will 
we all collectively have to pay?

Marcus Simmons
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
To: "Elmer Cerano MPAS" <ECERANO at mpas.org>
Cc: "lydia Schuck MCB Comm." <laschuck at juno.com>; "MARK CODY" 
<MCODY at mpas.org>; "Richard Bernstein Esq" <rbernstein at sambernstein.com>; 
<nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>; "John Scott MCB Comm." <jcscot at sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 2:13 PM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Fw: web access difficult for people with 
disabilitiesin Michigan

> 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
> _______________________________________________
> nfbmi-talk mailing list
> nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nfbmi-talk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/marcussimmons%40comcast.net 