[nfbmi-talk] accommodation request accessibl public hearing info

[joe harcz Comcast]

July 13, 2012   Request MRC All Information Related to State Plan Hearings

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

Mt. Morris, MI 48458

810-516-5262

 

E-mail: joeharcz at comcast.net

 

Re: Public Hearing Comments, Notes, Minutes Rehab Act, ADA, Etc.

 

Marlene S. Malloy

Executive Director

Michigan Rehabilitation Council

3490 Belle Chase Way, Suite 110

Lansing, MI 48911

 

517/887.9370, extension 1

517/887.9369 – Fax

 

877/335.9370 - Toll Free

 

(Sent via e-mail)

 

 

 

 

Dear Ms. Malloy,

 

I am a person who is blind, an advocate for those who are blind and those with other disabilities. I am writing today to request all documents related to the extremely illegal state plan hearings recently conducted. At a minimum I am requesting all written or spoken public comments submitted to MRC and, if any, the recordings and notes, or “minutes” of these so-called “public hearings” on the state plan, which by the way very few people with disabilities even knew about because MRC and MRS made no proper and adequate notice in any form except belatedly on its web site.

 

Make no mistake here I am not making a Freedom of Information Act request! I invoke the very Rehabilitation Act itself which funds and establishes the MRC to begin with. I invoke the requirement to make all public meeting and hearing information readily available and accessible to members of the public in a timely and accessible manner including those of course, like myself who are blind. I also invoke the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title III, subpart e, communications, primary consideration), and the “auxiliary aids and services” provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act here for as I am blind the printed word is not accessible. An entity such as yours should be intimate with how to affirmatively  comply with this request and prohibitions against charging a surcharge or any Stallings or delays.

 

Now I request the written submissions as simple Word documents and/or e-mail attachments as my “computer talks”. I use a screen reader. This information must be sent to my e-mail listed above. Any responses, including inevitable stalling must also be sent in accessible format.

 

As per any recordings they may be sent on a thumb drive to my mailing address as an mp3 file.

 

Again under law you may not charge me one dime for this any more than you can charge a deaf person the cost of interpreter services at these bogus hearings. That would be a violation of the surcharge provisions of the ADA and 504.

 

Regardless as you all want to take over the role of being the Statewide Rehabilitation Council in the State Plan and EO 2012-10 for those who are blind you better get used to meeting these accommodations. You had also better invest in some good Braille and audio production devices too.

 

A failure to timely respond to this let alone remit accessible information will result in complaints to OCR, the US Department of Justice, and legal action.

 

Sincerely,

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

 

Cc: National Federation of the Blind, MI

Cc: ADAPT MI

Cc: MCB Commissioners

Cc: MRC Members

Cc: RSA

Cc: several